A bold proposal to link Ventimiglia, Monaco, and Nice Airport via an underground metro is gaining attention as calls grow for a modern solution to the Principality’s mounting traffic and commuter woes.

The project, championed by Philippe Ortelli, president of the Federation of Entrepreneurs of the Principality of Monaco (FEDEM), envisions a high-capacity underground route running from Italy to the French Riviera, with five stops planned in Monaco and additional stations en route to France. According to Ortelli, around 50,000 workers cross the border daily to reach the Principality, creating chronic congestion, pollution, and long travel times.

“The attractiveness of Monaco and the sustainability of its economic and social model are at risk,” Ortelli told reporters, warning that rising housing costs in the surrounding region are pushing workers further away from their jobs, compounding the mobility crisis.

A dossier and feasibility study have already been submitted to the Monegasque government, but no formal position has yet been announced. The National Council has voiced its support, with its president, Thomas Brezzo, citing the project’s potential to deliver “fluid and sustainable travel” across the region.

The plan could qualify for European Union funding, and discussions have been held with Nice’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, who has expressed interest in the cross-border cooperation such a metro would foster. If greenlit soon, the line could become operational within the next decade.

The mayor of Ventimiglia, where the line would begin, is now expected to weigh in—a step seen as crucial for advancing the tri-nation collaboration.

Proponents argue that the metro would echo a historic turning point in Monaco’s past: the 1868 opening of the Paris–Lyon–Méditerranée railway, which first connected Nice to Genoa and transformed the Principality by spurring tourism and economic growth linked to Monte-Carlo’s burgeoning casino and hotel scene.

Today, over 150 years later, a similar leap in infrastructure could redefine how people move across one of Europe’s busiest stretches of coastline.