Traces of FVV
Next 31st of July will be 39 exact years that the little train doesn't serve the Staffora valley. The Voghera - Varzi, a single track electrified railway 32 km long, was inaugurated the Christmas day of 1931, in a period of great ferment for the construction of new railway lines. It was planned with modern criteria for the age, completely electrified, also on the connections, in 3000 Volts direct current and with much efficient rolling stock. In years ' 60, just in the moment the direction of the owner "Adriatic Society Railroads in Appennino" was thinking to a rebuilding of the line, the ministerial decree of closure arrived and 1 August 1966 began the substitutive service with bus, still active. All was dismantled in short time, but the rail between the military fuel warehouse of Godiasco and Voghera was formally held in exercise with diesel traction until the closing of the warehouse in the 90's, even if were very little the services carries out on it. Later on the resting of the line followed the same fate some happened years before to the Varzi-Godiasco line. Leaving from Varzi, the line headed towards south, tightened between the skillful Staffora river and the state 461 road, until Salice Terme; here, instead continuing towards south to Voghera, the line described a south east curve, touching the countries of Rivanazzano, Retorbido, Codevilla, Torrazza Coste, in order then to return in east west direction towards Voghera, with the terminus near the station of the FS. What remains of the Voghera-Varzi nearly 40 years from the abolition? Some coaches, transferred to south, is reborn to new life in the consociated line "Sangritana", managed from same society FAA. There is no more trace of the overhead line and is surviving a single small piece of the catenary near Bagnaria; the bridges are still existing with the parapets completely rusted but original. The rails are totally gone, except some meters making visible from asphalt in the former level crosisngs of Rivanazzano, Retorbido and Torrazza Coste. The stations have had various destinies: that one of Varzi is demolished in order to make place to a large square, that one of Voghera works as gate to a multilevel parking, that one of Ponte Nizza (where still exists Station Street) is center of the Alpini, others have been abandoned and currently are invaded from the vegetation. Better fortune has had the stations of Salice Terme and Rivanazzano, recently restored in the original colors and reconverted respective in bar-store and premises to disposition of the municipality. For that regards the former railway bed, it's various much more than can be imagined, just because never has been a common plan, in spite of the many words, for its conservation or reconversion. Some councils have supplied to the asphalt, transforming it in bike track, others completely forgets it, leaving it to the vegetation; who thought to a hypothetical reactivation of the line or in its conversion would have today to make count with several structures that in the meantime are born just on the former tracing, like a gasoline station and an ANAS warehouse near Bagnaria and a golf field in Salice Terme or with the action of the Staffora torrent that during one full has eroded a part. Other parts are become rural roads of private property and therefore habitually they are covered from agricultural means. In order to try to conserve the memory of this railroad, I have covered mainly by foot and where possible nearly all the former railway bed, documenting with photographies what currently remains. During the several walks I have had way to reflect on the close mentality of who has decided the closure of this and other beautiful railway lines, in name of a mass motorization that at a distance of years is playing against us. In the particular case of the FVV, the absurdity is still more obvious because, with the exception of other lines where the stations were located far away from the centers and therefore not easy, in this case all the stations (except that one of Torrazza Coste 1,5 Km away from the country) were inserted in the city context and therefore most comfortable for the user. Plus the SS 461, that had to be upgraded and to be improved after the closing of the line, is practically remained equal and must support stung of traffic that to times becomes indefensible, as very known to who must re-enter towards Voghera after a trip to Varzi or to the step of the Penice. Moreover in Varzi heavy industries still remain and during the week the trucks are very many carrying out transport service, contributing to the increase of the traffic. The then existing connection between FVV and FS to Voghera, the same gauge and the vicinity with the great cities could facilitate the tourism, above all eno-gastronomic and thermal ones, that are the vocation of Staffora area, as it happens today - for example - on Genova-Casella, or with green trains in Sardinia or on several tourist trains managed by private associations. Instead, except some sporadic voice, nobody was engaged in order to save the railroad and even now the future is uncertain. If finally we think that the last rails have been removed little years ago, without that nobody had moved a finger, the anger is still greater. It has been spoken about reconversion using funds of the European community, some associations organize interesting events of varied kind in order to draw the attention on the problem, but the feeling is negative, also because examples as the most recent one of the reactivation of the Merano-Malles played by the province of Bolzano are really rare in the panorama not only national. How many today remember the FVV, how many boys know that a time a train covered the Staffora valley? They are questions to which is difficult giving an answer. I only hope that in the future truly something will be made in order to hold alive at least the memory of an important history piece of the transports in the Oltrepò Pavese.