The History of the Tram in San Remo: The Riviera’s Forgotten Journey
San Remo, now famous for its Italian Song Festival and its enchanting landscapes, has also had a past linked to rail transport. Few people know that, for several decades, the city was crossed by a tram system that connected the main towns of the Riviera di Ponente. This means of transport, which once represented one of the most modern and innovative solutions for travel, is today only a fascinating memory of the past.
The Beginning of the Adventure: The Birth of the Tram in San Remo
At the end of the 19th century, with the growing tourist development of the Riviera dei Fiori, there was a need to improve connections between coastal cities. In 1913, the Sanremo-Taggia-Ospedaletti tram line was born, a service that aimed to facilitate the transport of residents and tourists along the coast.
It was called “Tramways Electriques Sanremo Littoral”. It had offices, a workshop, a power plant and a main depot in Sanremo, in Corso Victor Hugo (now Corso Matuzia) and another depot in Taggia.
The first trams were electric and offered an efficient alternative to horse-drawn vehicles. The route ran along the seafront, offering passengers spectacular views of the Ligurian Sea and allowing them to travel quickly between coastal towns.
The Golden Age of the San Remo Tram
In the 1920s and 1930s, the tram became an essential means of transport for the local population and for the many visitors who flocked to San Remo, already an internationally renowned tourist destination. The service was frequent and allowed direct connections to the railway station, facilitating the travel of those arriving from other Italian cities and nearby France.
During its heyday, the tram served the main urban and tourist areas, with stops at strategic points in the city, including the famous Casino di San Remo, one of the symbols of elite tourism of the time.
The Decline and Disappearance of the Tram
After World War II, the rapid development of road transport marked the beginning of the decline of the tram. With the increase in automobiles and the construction of new roads, the tram service began to be seen as obsolete and impractical.
In 1948, the San Remo tram made its last journey. The tracks were gradually removed to make way for buses and cars, marking the end of an era.
The Legacy of the Tram in San Remo
Today, few visible traces of the old San Remo tram remain, but its history is still alive in the memories of the oldest residents and in the city's photographic archives. Some sections of the old route have been transformed into cycle paths or pedestrian streets, such as the famous Pista Ciclabile del Ponente Ligure, which partly follows the original route.
Despite the disappearance of the tram, its memory represents a fascinating chapter in the history of San Remo, a time when the city lived a period of great splendor and modernity.
Who knows, maybe one day the tram will return to travel the streets of the Riviera, bringing with it the charm of its century-old history.
