“CAs we have already had the opportunity to underline, the transition from GTT to FS leaves open a field of possibilities for Torino-Ceres and the territory, which if well exploited can become important opportunities for valorisation”.
Thus they begin fromObservatory on the Turin-Ceres line (the group of volunteers who “supervised” the progress of the works for the reopening of the railway) to launch their proposal: the creation of MUST, the Historical Museum of Turin-Cereswhich should see the city of Ciriè as its headquarters.
The line was reopened in January this year, with a total cost of the work of 230 million euros and passing from the management of GTT to that of Trenitalia. A scenario, which according to the members of the Observatory, would open up new possibilities.
“One of these opportunities concerns the recovery and valorization of the line’s historic rolling stock, its museum display and its effective use for historic and tourist trains – they explain – pTo fulfill these objectives we present the project for a Historical Museum of Turin-Ceres (indicated by the acronym MUST), to be housed in Cirié in an area that includes the old electrical substation and the workshop shed”.
The site identified by the members of the Observatory for the creation of the MUST
The city of Ciriè, in fact, is very linked to the history of the new line: at the moment the route allows a direct connection for the inhabitants of Devesini and the Valleys with the airport of Caselle and Turin, but the roots of this story date back much further in time.
Torino-Ceres is inextricably linked to its technological primacy for having been one of the very first railway lines in the world, and the first in Europe, powered by high voltage direct current and in regular passenger service. The memory of this undertaking is currently represented by the Cirié electrical substation from 1919, which still powers trains today and which retains part of the original equipment.
“In the substation, adequately valorised, there could be space for a museum itinerary on the technical undertaking of Turin-Ceres and on the history and technique of railway electrification in general, as well as spaces for multifunctional and cultural use open to citizens – they add from the Observatory – Furthermore, GTT’s leave has left the spaces in the workshop shed free, which could accommodate the line’s historic trains – such as the two famous TIBB locomotives from 1920 or the last surviving “pita” electromotive, or even the diesel engines from the seventies – and keep them safely so that they can be used on the railway if necessary. The creation of the MUST would be an important opportunity to enhance a large portion of the railway area overlooking the Cirié 2000 hub and the nascent cultural area of the Remmert Area, where the new auditorium is being built, and give life to a significant block cultural”. An idea, that of the MUST, which also extends beyond the borders of Ciriè.
“According to the Region’s commitments, Cirié should also become a gateway station for the SFM-3 and SFM-6 lines, thus guaranteeing a rapid and direct connection between the MUST, the Turin area, the rest of the region and with the Savigliano Railway Museum. In our vision, the MUST should be included in the broader set of railway museums present in Piedmont and Italy and it should also be imagined as a museum spread along the main stations of the line with dedicated installations: the relationship of the train with the mountain, with the Resistance, the technical challenge of generating electricity from water and so on – continue the Observatory volunteers – However, the Museum should also be a “museum for the territory”, helping visitors to connect with the numerous other cultural realities present in the Ciriacese area and in the Lanzo Valleys, and acting as a hub for paths of discovery and valorisation of cultural and architectural resources. and landscapes of our territories. Naturally, such an ambitious project requires adequate resources but, even before that, a convergence of will and vision that must bring together those who deal with the valorisation and protection of the railway heritage with local authorities and public and private entities”.
