A Turn of the 20th Century Proposed Tramway in the Valley of La Roya

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/...ered-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/2018/02/2...amway-revisited-chemins-de-fer-de-provence-51 and http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/06/0...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