The Franco-Italian Committee for the Defense and Development of the Nice-Cuneo-Ventimiglia line is organizing a public demonstration this Saturday, September 20th at Place Masséna.
Users of this line and residents of the surrounding municipalities are demanding the earliest possible start of repair work on the line, a review of the 1970 Inter-State Convention (France and Italy), and the implementation of appropriate measures during the closure of the Tende tunnel to maintain a minimum level of exchanges with Italy.
The issue is complex and, in our opinion, a definitive solution has yet to be reached.
The situation as of today:
On the French side:
Normal train circulation has resumed between Nice and Breil with a temporary speed limit of 40 km/h at Bon Voyage. An additional stop has been created in Nice at Pont-Michel, which “replaces” the stop at St-Roch station. Between Nice and Breil, the future of the line seems assured.
This is not at all the case between Breil and Tende. SNCF bus services will ensure connections between the villages upstream from Breil. No service is provided from Tende to allow for the vital daily commutes of workers and employees, as well as students and high school students, in the morning and evening.
On the Italian side and funding:
The Piedmont Region, in charge of the Cuneo-Ventimiglia line, has changed President (Sergio Chiamparino, former mayor of Turin) and majority (from the Northern League and center-right to the PD and center-left) and is working on resuming traffic.
Furthermore, the Italian government has decided to fund the essential works necessary to return to a normal speed on the Limone-Breil section, amounting to €29 million; but nothing is guaranteed: the start of the works must be ensured by June 30, 2015, or the funding will be canceled!
However, according to the 1970 Convention, RFF is responsible for the infrastructure between Breil-Tende but declares that it cannot carry out the works before two years.
In addition, the Collective still demands to know what happened to the €21 million in tolls paid by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region to RFF, while RFI was charging tolls for the same trains to the Piedmont Region, and denounces the deceptive game led by RFF and the French State, who are delaying to close the line.
As proof of a scheduled condemnation, SNCF websites and ticket offices have long stopped announcing trains above Breil to travelers searching for information.
Ongoing and upcoming:
At the initiative of PACA Regional Councilor Jean-Yves Petit, a GECT (European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation) is being established between PACA, Monaco, and Liguria (the Piedmont Region may consider joining): a technical meeting will take place on September 24th in Breil.
The GECT will allow starting in 2015 a coherence of cross-border transport schedules and pricing offers, but it will not take charge of the infrastructure.
The immediate realization of safety works remains the major and unavoidable demand to ensure the line’s sustainability. All responsibilities are in the hands of the two states (via RFF and RFI) so that the Franco-Italian Roya and Vermenagna valleys do not become suffocated and afflicted valleys.
During the works for the doubling of the Tende tunnel (2014-2020 at the earliest), the road access Piemonte-Riviera will be closed for long periods, 3 full days per week (Tuesday-Friday).
The Collective regrets that none of the letters sent to public authorities have received a serious response (Minister of Ecology, European deputies, etc.).
In particular, according to their statements, the Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes has not deigned to respond to a request for an interview, nor to a petition signed by all economic actors in the valley.
