Started before the partition of Savoy in 1860, the Cuneo-Nice / Ventimiglia railway line project was realized on the French side, only after the First World War, and inaugurated in 1928.
The topography of the Roya and Vermenagna valleys led to the creation of spectacular works of art, which lend a monumental nature to this one-way line.
You can recognize the viaducts that were not destroyed during the war by their arches and their well-kept coverings of clear limestone of the PLM (compagnie Paris-Lyon-Méditerrannée) French side, and of pink bricks underlined eith white limestone bearing the FS monogram (Ferrovie dello Stato), Italian side. Numerous helical tunnels allow you to gain altitude while respecting the maximum railway slope, lengthening the distance. The stations and the old houses of the guardians of the level crossings adopt both the “Nice” style of the French PLM company, and the neoclassical style of the Italian FS. Locally, no lesser spectacular modern works have replaced some viaducts that were detonated with dynamite during the Second World War.
You can see the works in this list from the road SS 20 – RD 6204, where the local open spaces allow you to park. To better appreciate this surprising mountain route between Breil-sur-Roya and Borgo San Dalmazzo, it is recommended to discover it by train.