Les Trains du Col de Tende

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 1

The railway from Nice PLM Station to Tende and Cuneo was completed in 1928. It was long in the gestation and in construction. The story stretches back more than a century and a half. ‘Le Chemin de fer du Col de Tende’ is historically a significant local and international line. Its inverted Y-shaped layout and its crossing of international borders means that it is known by a number of different names:

- in Nice it is known as the Nice – Coni Line;

- generally in Italy it is officially Ferrovia Cuneo Ventimiglia

- in the Piedmont city of Cuneo’s economic/political circles, sitting at the top of the inverted ‘Y’, it is often referred to as the Cuneo – Nizza line in recognition of good relations with the community of Nice.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/22/the-railway-from-nice-to-tende-and-cuneo-part-1

Its story is a saga of significant technical achievement: gaining 1000 metres in height ; having a dozen tunnels longer than 1 kilometre (including those of the Col de Tende (8098 m), the Col de Braus (5939 m) and the Mont Grazian tunnel (3882 m), which are among the longest structures on the French and Italian networks); having four complete helical loops,  several S-shaped loops and a multitude of bridges and viaducts (some of which, such as those of Scarassouï or Bévéra, are architecturally significant railway structures. Of a total route of 143.5 km, 6.5 km are on bridges or viaducts and over 60 km are in tunnels. This means that close to 42% of the journey along the line(s) is on or within structures.

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 2

In the first article about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length from Cuneo to Vernante. This article covers the next length of the line from Vernante to Limone.

The Line South from Vernante to Limone

Banaudo et al write that “It was only in 1886, after the creation of the Rete Mediterranea, that the work on the fourth tranche from Vernante to Limone was awarded. It was 8,831 m long and had a gradient of 203 m, which was to be compensated for by a continuous ramp of up to 26 mm/m. This value would not be exceeded at any other point on the line. On this section, the rail remained constantly on a ledge on the steep slope on the right bank of the Vermenagna, where it was anchored by eleven bridges and viaducts totaling sixty-three masonry arches, as well as nine tunnels with a combined length of 4,416 m, or just over half the route:”

We start this next length of the journey at Vernante Railway Station and head Southeast.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/26/the-railway-from-nice-to-tende-and-cuneo-part-2/

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Part 3 - Vievola to St. Dalmas de Tende


[URL unfurl="true"]http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/08/06/the-railway-from-nice-to-tende-and-cuneo-part-3-vievola-to-st-dalmas-de-tende/[/URL]

Our journey South down the line continues from Vievola. …

[rogerfarnworth]

A Tramway in the Valley of the River Roya? (Early 20th Century)

While finding out about the line between Cuneo and the Mediterranean coast, I found a few paragraphs in the French language book about the railway which crossed the Col de Tende by Jose Banaudo et al. Those paragraphs were about a proposed tramway that in the end did not get built. … The featured image in the linked article is a  map showing the full length of the proposed line.

Late in the 19th century before a rail link from Vievola to the Mediterranean was really on the agenda. Alongside the experimental ‘Train Scotte’, (see https://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/26/miscellaneous-steam-powered-road-vehicles-scotte-steam-road-vehicles) a “local engineer, M. Chatelanat, proposed building a tramway line between Vievola station … and Ventimiglia. He knew the region well, having just overseen the construction of the rack railway from Monte Carlo to La Turbie. (see https://rogerfarnworth.com/2017/11/23/monaco-to-la-turbie-rack-railway-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-15)

He presented an application filed on 7th February 1899.” …....

The submission made by M. Chatelanat began, “The electric tramway for which we are requesting a concession is intended to facilitate the movement of passengers and goods in the Roya Valley through a rapid, convenient, and economical means of communication. Currently, to reach Nice and the other communes of the department, the population of the French part of this valley must either travel more than 60 kilometres along the old Nice-Cuneo road, crossing the foothills of Brouis and Braus, in unsafe conditions due to the steep slopes, the height of the passes, and, in winter, the seasonal inclement weather. Or, since the opening of the national road from Breil to Ventimiglia, travel approximately 30 kilometres and cross two customs lines to join the coastal railway line in Ventimiglia. … Between the coast and Upper Piedmont, especially the province of Cuneo, there is a very intense movement of population every year, but if you want to go by train, you have to make a long detour via Savona, which is long and expensive. The province of Cuneo sends to Nice and the coast some of its products that our region cannot obtain elsewhere. On the other hand, our particular products from the South are in demand and consumed in the upper Po Valley. Facilitating the movement of travelers and this exchange of products between Piedmont and the coast will at the same time allow the French populations of the Roya Valley to come easily and quickly to Nice to stock up and connect with the entire French coast without having to cross the Braus and Brouis passes, such is the goal we are pursuing.”

There were a number of projects of this nature being explored at the time. The tramway between Menton and Sospel is an excellent example (see http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/02/23/the-sospel-to-menton-tramway-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-51 and http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/06/08/the-menton-to-sospel-tramway-revisited-again-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-61). Others in the valley of the River Var and in the valley of the River Paillon were also built.

This is what we know about the proposed tramway: ...

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/27/a-tramway-in-the-valley-of-the-river-roya-early-20th-century/

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Part 4 - South from St. Dalmas de Tende

The featured image in the linked article is a poster for the Nice-Cuneo line. It shows Scarassoui Viaduct with a Northbound steam service between the wars, designed by Adolphe Crossard, © Public Domain.

In the first three articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length of the line from Cuneo to St. Dalmas de Tende. In the linked article we head South from St. Dalmas de Tende.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/08/16/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-4-st-dalmas-de-tende-to-breil-sur-roya/

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Part 5 - Breil-sur-Roya to Airole and Ventimiglia

This article follows the line South from Breil-sur-Roya to Ventimiglia in two parts: the first as far as Airole and the second from Airole to Ventimiglia. ….

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/08/25/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-5-breil-sur-roya-to-ventimiglia/

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 6 – Breil-sur-Roya to L’Escarene

The featured image in the linked article shows an unidentified steam locomotive crossing the highly unusual Viaduc de Bevera. The train is heading toward Sospel.

The article begins the journey from Breil-sur-Roya to Nice. ... South of Breil-sur-Roya a junction allows direct access to Ventimiglia and to Nice.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/08/29/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-6-breil-sur-roya-to-lescarene

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 7 – L’Escarene to Drap-Cantaron Railway Station.

This article begins the journey from L’Escarene.

Initially, the line heads Southeast but then gradually turns to the the Southwest through Peille, Peillon and Drap before running into Nice.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/09/26/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-7-lescarene-to-drap-cantaron-railway-station

[rogerfarnworth]

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 8 – Drap-Cantaron Railway Station to Nice.

The featured image is a postcard view of la Trinite-Victor Railway Station in the very early years after the line opened.

In the first seven articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length of the line from Cuneo to Breil-sur-Roya and then to Ventimiglia, before beginning to look at the line between Breil-sur-Roya and Nice.

Woven into the text below are a series of stills from a video of the train journey from Breil-sur-Roya to Nice.

This article begins the journey from Drap-Cantaron Railway Station.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/10/07/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-8-drap-cantaron-railway-station-to-nice/

[rogerfarnworth]

Part 9 – The Short Golden Age

I am writing this article having just returned to Menton where we were staying in November 2025. We travelled to and from Tende which is the terminus of Zest Bus Ligne 25. There was little action to observe at the railway station.

The line from Nice to Tende via Breil-sur-Roya was closed until the beginning of 2026. The alternative route from Ventimiglia was still active but we did not see a train during the two hours we spent at Tende.

This is the ninth article in a series relating to the railway between Cuneo, Nice and Ventimiglia. In earlier articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length of the line from Cuneo to Breil-sur-Roya and then to Ventimiglia, before looking at the line between Breil-sur-Roya and Nice. As we looked at the two routes we also looked at the history of the line over the period before it's opening in 1928.

This article covers the period from 1928 to 1939.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/02/06/the-railway-between-nice-tende-and-cuneo-part-9-the-short-golden-age/