«Good news came from the transport G7 in Milan. Minister Salvini and his French counterpart announced the signing of the new agreement for the Cuneo-Ventimiglia-Nice route. After 54 years, the rules are changing and things for the line can only improve. In addition to a different distribution of maintenance costs, now entirely borne by Italy also for the 47 kilometers across the Alps, the agreement will allow a series of interventions to be carried out which will cause the 40 km/h limit on the section to lapse. transalpine which significantly penalizes the connections”.
Marco Gallo, candidate for the Piedmont regional council in the elections of 8 and 9 June on the “Cirio President-Piedmont liberal and moderate” listlooks with optimism at the developments of new agreement between Italy and France for the “Wonder Railway”.
Gallo also underlines the importance of the agreement signed last year between the two operators of the line which now acquires greater importance with the new agreement: «The necessary interventions are being identified to allow the 80 kilometers per hour to be restored on the line as after the reconstruction in 1979. 56 million will be needed, but it is important that we have already started thinking about it. Now a different distribution of expenses between states will allow for further acceleration.”
Furthermore, the recent update of the train timetable on the Cuneo-Ventimiglia line is viewed favorably by Gallo and by the “Cirio-presidente. Liberal and moderate Piedmont” list. This change, active on weekdays, was welcomed positively by commuter users and demonstrates the commitment of the institutions and President Alberto Cirio in responding promptly to the needs of the community.
A result that also comes thanks to the pressing role that the Monitoring Committee for the Tenda Tunnel had in the match promoted last summer by the Province with the Region, the Chamber of Commerce and the municipalities of Cuneo, Borgo and Valle Vermenagna, to support a change in the rules on the Cuneo-Nice route after half a century, underlining the importance of the railway line in recent years of blackout of the road connection.
And Gallo is counting on the Monitoring Committee to continue to insist on the reopening of the Tenda by autumn: «A fifth winter season without the Tenda open would be a further blow to the economy of Limone and the Vermenagna valley first and foremost, but also for the entire Cuneo area – explains Gallo -. During the last inspection, the Edilmaco company guaranteed the closure of the construction site by September 30th. Three months late on the latest roadmap. But there’s little point in complaining. The next day we need to work on reopening the necessary connection within two months. Even alternating one-way: after all, with only one operational tunnel there is no alternative. But after five years we need to reopen that road. I am immediately ready to work with President Cirio and the competent councilor so that the Ministry of Transport and Anas can help us in this little miracle: bringing the French people of the Côte d’Azur back to the slopes of Limone for Christmas.”
