Roata Rossi
The History of Roata Rossi Station
Roata Rossi Station was a railway stop located on the Ferrovia Savigliano-Saluzzo-Cuneo line that served the town of Roata Rossi. The construction of this line was planned in 1879, with the task of the provincial Civil Engineering to draw up an executive project entrusted in June 1883 and transmitted the following year to the Società per le Strade Ferrate del Mediterraneo (SFM) which obtained the relevant funding with the law of 20 June 1888. The works began in March 1890 and the railway, including the Roata Rossi stop, was completed on 1 June 1892.
In 1905, the management of the line passed to the newly constituted Ferrovie dello Stato and in 1938 the stop was renamed "Roata Rossi". Despite the station's proximity to Cuneo, the stop remained far from the front during the First World War and was also not very interested in the events of the Second World War, as it did not constitute a primary strategic objective. However, during the war, the fluctuation of transport demand caused the beginning of a period of constant decline in traffic revenue.
The Closure of the Station
In the post-war period, the advent of private motorization and a common orientation no longer favorable to rail transport caused a constant decline in transport demand on the line. In 2001, the operation of the line passed to the newly constituted Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, which even decided to close the stop two years later. This decision caused great disappointment for the inhabitants of the area who had used the station as an important reference point.
Conclusions
Roata Rossi Station was important for the history of Italian railways, but unfortunately was closed due to the progressive decrease in rail transport demand. However, despite its elimination, it cannot be denied that the station contributed to the growth of the country in that area. The history of Roata Rossi demonstrates how rail transport has played a fundamental role in economic growth over the last two centuries.
