This is a Variation of the original track layout of the Torino-Savona line. The history of this line dates back in 1874. After the opening of the first Railway line between Napoli and Portici in 1939 and the second line between Torino and Trofarello (towards Genova) in 1848 the Torino-Savona line followed as one of the ancient lines in Italy. The line was built from Trofarello via Carmagnola-Bra-Bastìa-Ceva through the Tanaro Valley and passing through Ferrania/Santuario. A secondary section to connect the important city of Mondovì (one of the "four sisters" in the Cuneo-region) was guaranteed by the line between Bastìa and Mondovì. The line, like most of Italian railways, was built as single track line. The high amount of curves and bridges on the Tanaro river and the low speed (about 70km/h) of the line made clear that a new line should replace the part that runned between Bra and Ceva.
The track variation was projected and built in the early 1900s and was finished in 1933. The new railway was built as double-track line, passing from Carmagnola via Cavallermaggiore, Fossano and Mondovì to Ceva, Predicting the end of the small section between Mondovì and Bastìa. The new line was an enormous and glorious project at that time: 3 giant viaducts were built: on the rivers Stura (near Fossano), Pesio (on the Picture) and Ellero (in the city of Mondovì) each with more than 500m length and about 50m height. South-east of Mondovì four tunnels ("Mondovì" 667m, "Pobbia" 1226m, "San Giovanni" 2804m and "Lesegno" 1296m) were built, rising the line speed up to 140km/h. Both lines (the old and new one) was electrified with AC 3400V 16,7Hz Three-phase catenary, then converted to the Italian standard of DC 3000V bi-phase current in the 1970s. The catastrophic flood of the Tanaro river back in 1994 destroyed most of the bridges of the old section and predicted the closure of the Bra-Ceva section, today only run in the small part between Bra and Cherasco as industrial connection to a Container factory. The part of the Torino-Savona line between S.Giuseppe di Cairo and Savona was Doubled in 1954 (started in 1908 but stopped many times due to WW1&2) with a new, two-track projected but with single-track built line via Altare. The line is a bit steeper than the old one (29‰ against the 25‰ section via Ferrania) with the steepest point in the helical tunnel of Santuario, 2063m long. Because of this, trains that go "to Sea" descends via Altare. Trains towards Torino goes via Ferrania.
Nowadays the line is served by fast regional trains, local trains and freight trains to the Cairo Montenotte Cokery, to the Steel factory in Lesegno, Coils-trains to Racconigi, Grain trains to Fossano and all the Freights that reaches Cuneo via Fossano. The remaining Single-track section between Ceva and S.Giuseppe di Cairo is still the bottleneck of the line but it is the first line that cross the Appennini-Mountains with the "Belbo"-Tunnel (4366m long) between Sale Langhe and Saliceto (Longest Tunnel of the line).
The history of this line dates back in 1874. After the opening of the first Railway line between Napoli and Portici in 1939 and the second line between Torino and Trofarello (towards Genova) in 1848 the Torino-Savona line followed as one of the ancient lines in Italy. The line was built from Trofarello via Carmagnola-Bra-Bastìa-Ceva through the Tanaro Valley and passing through Ferrania/Santuario. A secondary section to connect the important city of Mondovì (one of the "four sisters" in the Cuneo-region) was guaranteed by the line between Bastìa and Mondovì. The line, like most of Italian railways, was built as single track line. The high amount of curves and bridges on the Tanaro river and the low speed (about 70km/h) of the line made clear that a new line should replace the part that runned between Bra and Ceva.
The track variation was projected and built in the early 1900s and was finished in 1933. The new railway was built as double-track line, passing from Carmagnola via Cavallermaggiore, Fossano and Mondovì to Ceva, Predicting the end of the small section between Mondovì and Bastìa. The new line was an enormous and glorious project at that time: 3 giant viaducts were built: on the rivers Stura (near Fossano), Pesio (on the Picture) and Ellero (in the city of Mondovì) each with more than 500m length and about 50m height. South-east of Mondovì four tunnels ("Mondovì" 667m, "Pobbia" 1226m, "San Giovanni" 2804m and "Lesegno" 1296m) were built, rising the line speed up to 140km/h. Both lines (the old and new one) was electrified with AC 3400V 16,7Hz Three-phase catenary, then converted to the Italian standard of DC 3000V bi-phase current in the 1970s. The catastrophic flood of the Tanaro river back in 1994 destroyed most of the bridges of the old section and predicted the closure of the Bra-Ceva section, today only run in the small part between Bra and Cherasco as industrial connection to a Container factory.
The part of the Torino-Savona line between S.Giuseppe di Cairo and Savona was Doubled in 1954 (started in 1908 but stopped many times due to WW1&2) with a new, two-track projected but with single-track built line via Altare. The line is a bit steeper than the old one (29‰ against the 25‰ section via Ferrania)
with the steepest point in the helical tunnel of Santuario, 2063m long. Because of this, trains that go "to Sea" descends via Altare. Trains towards Torino goes via Ferrania.
Nowadays the line is served by fast regional trains, local trains and freight trains to the Cairo Montenotte Cokery, to the Steel factory in Lesegno, Coils-trains to Racconigi, Grain trains to Fossano and all the Freights that reaches Cuneo via Fossano. The remaining Single-track section between Ceva and S.Giuseppe di Cairo is still the bottleneck of the line but it is the first line that cross the Appennini-Mountains with the "Belbo"-Tunnel (4366m long) between Sale Langhe and Saliceto (Longest Tunnel of the line).