A train journey can become a different way to traverse a territory, observing the landscape at slower rhythms and stopping in places that are often left off the major tourist itineraries: this is the idea behind Timeless Rails, the project that aims to valorize the historic Asti–Chivasso railway line with a calendar of events dedicated to villages, railway culture, enogastronomy and sustainable tourism.
Opened on 20 October 1912, the line traverses landscapes of particular beauty and preserves railway testimonies characterized by a late 19th-century architectural style and the mountain railways. Recently reactivated for tourism purposes, it is today the starting point of a broader project that links railway heritage with the beauty of the landscapes, as well as the historical and cultural riches of the villages of Monferrato.
The initiative is curated by the municipalities of Montiglio Monferrato, Murisengo Monferrato, Montechiaro d’Asti, Cocconato and Chivasso, within the Binari senza tempo program of Fondazione FS and the LocoMonferrato project, organized by the Associazione Amici del Museo Ferroviario dell’attraversamento delle Alpi Feralp Team Bussoleno in collaboration with the Associazione Coordinamento Mobilità Integrata e sostenibile Co.M.I.S.
Eight appointments between historic trains, truffles, and local flavors
The 2026 calendar includes eight events with departures from Torino Porta Nuova, Torino Lingotto, Moncalieri and Asti. The program features journeys aboard historic trains, events, truffle fairs, and enogastronomic itineraries.
The first appointment is scheduled for 6 September in Cocconato for CoccoWine, with a ride aboard the Centoporte Train and the opportunity to participate in the event and tastings organized by GoWine.
27 September will instead be the time for the Festa dei Nocciolini of Chivasso, reachable with the Centoporte Train. The month of October will be devoted in particular to the white truffle and to Montiglio Monferrato, where the National White Truffle Fair will feature two days, 4 October with the Littorina Train and 11 October with the Centoporte Train.
21 October will host a Special Edition of LOCOLAB, with booking and travel aboard the Centoporte Train. The program will then continue on 8 November in Montechiaro d’Asti, again on the occasion of the National White Truffle Fair and with the Centoporte Train.
The last two dates, 15 and 22 November, will take place in Murisengo Monferrato for the International White Truffle Fair, both reachable by traveling on the Littorina Train. For some dates there are also dedicated tourist packages, designed to complement the railway experience with itineraries and on-site activities.
LOCOLAB brings the exploration of the territory to the rails
A central part of the project will be represented by the third edition of LOCOLAB, which will offer laboratories and thematically modular pathways adaptable to age and the various levels of autonomy of the participants. A dedicated student train is also planned, with activities developed together with the partners involved in the project.
The laboratories will address different yet territory-related topics. With Co.M.I.S. the focus will be on integrated and sustainable mobility, through meetings dedicated to public transport, environmental impacts, best practices and the reading of the territory.
The theme of the environment and the landscape will be developed together with Legambiente, with activities dedicated to biodiversity, the protection of natural heritage and responsible behaviors during itineraries. Another track will be dedicated to the hunt for truffles and truffle cultivation, thanks to the collaboration with A.T.A.M., with experiential activities and in-depth exploration of local traditions, adaptable also in demonstrative form.
There will also be room for cultural heritage and museum activities, with the Educational Services of the Savoy Royal Residences of the DRM Piemonte, which will provide proven educational proposals that can be calibrated to different age groups. Railway culture and travel safety will be at the core of the activities developed with Fer Alp and Fondazione FS, with insights into the history of the line, its artifacts and the mindful use of railway spaces.
