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.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 1

The featured image above shows the inaugural train arriving at Breil-sur-Roya in March 1928, © Public Domain, shared by Jean-Paul Bascoul in the Comte de Nice et son Histoire Facebook Group on 25th…

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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.

 

[contrex]

In the 1990s and 2000s my wife and I went on holidays to Nice and more than once went all round that triangle. We enjoyed stopping at various places, inluding Cuneo/Coni, Sospel and Ventimiglia. Also along the Riviera di Ponente as far as Sanremo.

In the first 1998 pic you can just see, on the left, some old Wagons-Lits carriages that I wish I had photographed, which have since been removed. Some have been restored.

1. Sospel, looking towards Cuneo.



2. Sospel looking towards Nice



3 Ventimiglia, curious crossing that intersects a platform. Looking towards Menton & Nice.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Thank you for sharing the pictures contrex.

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An aside from the story of Les Trains du Col de Tende. ...

Société des Chaudières et Voitures à Vapeur système Scotte was a French manufacturer of steam-powered trucks, tractors, and omnibuses in Paris from 1893 to circa. 1914. The company also built the Train Scotte, an early road train for passenger or freight transport.

I first encountered the Train Scotte when reading about the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice international railway line in a book by Jose Banaudo, Michel Braun and Gerard de Santos; Les Trains du Col de Tende Volume 1: 1858-1928. [2] The partial opening of the that railway from Cuneo to Vievola in October 1900 left travellers heading for the Mediterranean in the middle of nowhere!

Miscellaneous Steam-Powered Road Vehicles – Scotte Steam Road Vehicles

Société des Chaudières et Voitures à Vapeur système Scotte was a French manufacturer of steam-powered trucks, tractors, and omnibuses in Paris from 1893 to circa. 1914. The company also built …

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An experimental steam road train was trialled on the roads from Vievola to Ventimiglia. It was supplied by Société des Chaudières et Voitures à Vapeur système Scotte.

 

[contrex]

My previous pics were taken on a 35mm film camera, and the film made into a Photo CD at Boots in 1998 (I didn't have a scanner) but in 2002 I got a Kodak digital camera, rather crude by today's standards...

All pics taken in October 2002

1. At Nice Ville, SNCF DMU from the Nice-Cuneo line



2. Same train



3. DMU departs Nice for Cuneo (much noise!)



4. SNCF EMU on Cannes-la-Bocca-Ventimiglia/Vintimille service




5. Another DMU from Cuneo at Nice

 

[rogerfarnworth]

Some more great pictures, contrex.

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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

A schematic drawing showing the main locations on the line from Vernante to Limone.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 2 – Vernante to Vievola

The featured image above is a 0-6-0 RM Locomotive No. 3375 ‘Pracchia’, with three driven axles and a tender, built in 1883 by Vulcan of Stettin. In 1905, it joined the FS fleet as Class…

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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.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 3 – Vievola to St. Dalmas de Tende

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 3 – Vievola to St. Dalmas de Tende

The first decade of the 20th century saw the existing roster of locomotives on the line South of Cuneo supplemented by two additional series : 130s (UK, 2-6-0) tender locos of the FS 630 series; an…

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Our journey South down the line continues from Vievola. …

The first decade of the 20th century saw the existing roster of locomotives on the line South of Cuneo supplemented by two additional series : 130s (UK, 2-6-0) tender locos of the FS 630 series; and 040T (UK, 0-8-0T) tank locos of the FS 895 series. The featured image for this article is one of the tank locomotives of the FS 895 series.

 

[rogerfarnworth]

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.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 4 – St. Dalmas de Tende to Breil-sur-Roya

The featured image above is a poster for the Nice-Cuneo line. It shows Scarassoui Viaduct with a Northbound steam service between the wars (c) Adolphe Crossard. … Public Domain. [49] In the f…

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[rogerfarnworth]

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. ….

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 5 – Breil-sur-Roya to Ventimiglia

The featured image for this article, above is an FS Series 320 0-6-0 (030 in Italian notation) steam locomotive which was used in the early days of operation on the southern section of the Ventimig…

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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.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 6 – Breil-sur-Roya to L’Escarene.

The featured image above shows an unidentified steam locomotive crossing the highly unusual Viaduc de Bevera. The train is heading toward Sospel. In the first five articles about the line from Cune…

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[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.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 7 – L’Escarene to Drap-Cantaron Railway Station.

The featured image above is a rather grainy image of steam at Drap-Cantaron Railway Station. In the first six articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea we covered the length of the line from Cu…

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[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. The video can be seen here. [4]

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

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

The featured image above is a postcard view of la Trinite-Victor Railway Station in the very early years after the line opened. [20] In the first seven articles about the line from Cuneo to the sea…

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[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.

Zest Bus Ligne 25 at the Gare Routiere in Menton, just prior to departure for Tende. [My photograph, 11th November 2025]

The goods shed at Tende, November 2025. [My photograph, 11th November 2025]

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.

A 21st century view of the platform side at Tende Railway Station, © Unknown. [26]

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.

The Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 9 – The Short Golden Age

The featured image shows FS940-002 141T (2-8-2T) in preservation in Piazza al Serchio, © MPW57, Public Domain. [20] The electrification of the two lengths of the Cuneo-Ventimiglia line(see the note…

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