GREECE | Railways

[Geokioy]

In Greece, apart from the Train of "Ododontos" (rack railway), which connects Diakofto with Kalavryta (Peloponnese area) (for details read the previous posts) there is also an other narrow gague railway (0.6 m).
This railway line connects villages at the foot of Pilion mountain, near the city of Volos (Thessaly Area - Central Creece). Today is operational only for sightseeing. For more info have a look in these sites:
http://www.volos-city.gr/ecportal.as...9&nt=18&lang=2
http://www.i-politismos.gr/train_eng.html

[Geokioy]

Some videos with greek trains....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z3yIJ1KFms

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W43TkgSHwLk

this video shows the entrance of a metro train, coming from the Athens Airport, into the underground line 3. During this the train stops in order to switch the source of electric power. Thus means that instead of using the aerial electric cable it starts to use the ground electric line...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCE5I4oKG4k

[radi6404]

Originally Posted by Geokioy

All the above trains are air-conditioned, but have diesel engines. Up to now (April 2007) there are only some exceptions, such as the lines Neratziotissa-Athens Airport, Thessaloniki-Skopje and Thessaloniki-Sofia, which do use electric powered trains. However the improvement continuous...

useful internet sites in greek and english
www.ose.gr
www.ergose.gr
www.proastiakos.gr

there should be a high speed line sofia thessaloniki, trains should reach thessaloniki in 3 hours, i hope they will buy some high speed trains to do that, i hope they will build new rails in bulgaria soon and buy some high speed trains so that this will be possible.

[Geokioy]

You are right!!!

[Bel Ludovic]

Athens's Larissis station is unbelievably small for a city of its size. It's about the size of Guildford station here in the UK! Are there any plans to expand or renovate it?

[Almopos]

There are plans to expand Larissis station. Below you can find some of the renderings that Konstantinoupolis posted on the Hellenic Architecture forum.

Originally Posted by KONSTANTINOUPOLIS

από meletitiki.gr

[ms.dinoma]

Well I'm going to speak to someone in PR at OSE tomorrow. Shoulda posted earlier if there's any questions you want answered.
I for one am disheartened with the new rolling stock, especially what they will do on the Peloponnese line. The new trains I've been on are awful - loud, the overhead racks and other things vibrate when the train's in motion, unlike the older ones, and you can't look out the windows at night - only reflection of the very bright inside of the train. Very romantic (not). Maybe I'm too romantic, but they should keep the old trains and the old line, at least in the Peloponnese, as one of the few remaining old-style train journeys. I even heard they used to have smoke stacks for when they grilled souvlakis on the train! What a great trip that would be!
As for what is working at the moment, not much (and TERRIBLE for tourism):
* You can no longer get off the train in Corinth town or at Isthmus (canal). Those stations are closed, apart from opening for one overnight train. The trip to Corinth is now operated by Proastiakos, and only to the New Corinth station, some miles away.
* There is no line from Corinth down to Argos, Nafplio, and around to Kalamata (and hasn't been one, at least since 2004).
* The Diakofto-Kalavryta rack-rail is not operational. Maybe next year...
* I also read they were going to make a train line from Igoumenitsa to Kalambaka by 2012. Doesn't seem to be in the plan anymore.
* As for the Athens station, it's 'spose to be redone. But the old Peloponnese station is such a charmer - and they closed it. All in the name of progress... (and of course, lining someone's pocket - I think why OSE got taken to the European court recently).

[ms.dinoma]

Update:
* Not re-doing the main Athens train station for the foreseeable future.
* Proastiakos from Athens/airport to Corinth only stops at New Corinth station; No longer service to Corinth (town) or Isthmos (canal).
* Not doing the line from Corinth-Argos-Nafplio-...-Kalamata for the foreseeable future.
* No longer service between Volos and Paleofarsala.
* No longer service to Loutraki.
* Not making a line between Igoumenitsa and Kalambaka on the mainland until "2030, maybe!"
* New Proastiakos (suburban railway) service between Piraeus and the airport starts on Monday June 4.
* Diakofto-Kalavryta rail MIGHT be operational later this year. OSE or ERGOSE (spoke to both) would not confirm.
* There will be a train from Athens to Moscow this summer, like last summer.

[Justme]

Originally Posted by Geokioy

Athens Central Railway Station or Larissa Station (destinations for all of Greece:2007)

Thanks for the fascinating post and info on Greek trains and developments.

Can I ask a question though. Is that above really Athen's central railway station? Or is there a bigger, more important station in Athens. This one looks very small and entirely inappropriate for such a big city like Athens.

Are there any plans to enlarge or modernize this station?

[Geokioy]

Yes...unfortunately this is Athens Central Railway Station...!!! It's a shame I Know...there are plans for its expansion...but the works that are currently under way have a very slow rate of progress....
Have a look in the following site...
http://www.meletitiki.gr/48/article/.../76/index.html

[ms.dinoma]

I say, as long as it does the job adequately, why change it? Remembering that this is Greece, if they make a bigger station, they'll hire lots more deadwood (staff), of which I think there's more than enough already who don't do ANYTHING. Case in point: there were 5 or 6 people in the press office. Doing what, exactly, when all they wanted was for me not to find them (no telno, door closed, no reply to email, etc, etc). They prefer everyone dial 1110, even if insufficient. Sorry people - am truly a rail enthusiast (my great-grandfather incidentally was the first editor of the Railway Magazine (UK) back at the turn of the last century, so maybe in my blood), but what I've seen and read about OSE really makes me cynical (also from looking up stories within the past year on ekathimerini.com...)
Sorry - needed to vent!

[Küsel]

I just came back from Greece where I wanted to travel around by train - but the whole Peloponnes railway was u/c - even the mountain trains and I was looking really forward to some train rides there

Hope they manage to finnish it soon that it will be as great as the metropolitan trains in Athens (Korinth-Athens is fantastic!).

[Geokioy]

I post here some photos from the greek fleet of trains. They were taken by the web site of the friends of the Greek Railways...enjoy!!! (http://www.sfs.gr/gallery_index.php?top=topbg2&categ=9)

[Geokioy]

This is the new site on the net for the Greek Railways...in case anybody wants info...
http://www.ose.gr/ose/content/Home.a...m=-1&rm=-1&l=1

[Geokioy]

...more photos from railway stations and trains around Greece...

Volos Railway Station and a diesel Siemens Desiro ready to depart for Larisa (capital of Thessaly - Central Greece)


Trikala Raulway Station (Thessaly)


Thessaloniki Central Railway Station (Macedonia-Norhern Greece)


...some trains parked...

[AVassilios]

Works in Thriassio have a very fast process! http://www.amnizia.com/forum/viewtop...=1188&start=60.

For them who don't know what Thriassio will be, it's going to be the main yard of Athens, main cargo yard of Peloponnes. A very big area, a paradise for railfans!

The best picture page of Greek railways: http://www.gallerypanos.fotopic.net

AVassilios

[Alexriga]

Thanks for informative thread. Looks like Greek railways have good news

[priamos]

Thanks a lot - those photos really made my day! I'm so used to seeing Stadler's DMU Railbus on secondary lines in Switzerland (where I used to live), usually with the mountains of Graubunden or the cows of Emmental in the background. It's totally cool to see this old friend rollling on the plains of Thessaloniki. ;-)

One question though: all the information on this thread deals with the new line between Athens and Patras. Does anybody know where we stand with the line upgradings between Athens and Thessaloniki? I seem to remember that the Greek railways had all kinds of problems with a couple of tunnels they need to build to get into southern Thessalia (wasn't one of them called Kallidromo?), but for more than a year I haven't heard a peep.

[panakosXX]

Originally Posted by AVassilios

The best picture page of Greek railways: http://www.gallerypanos.fotopic.net

Maybe this is off-topic, but i want to correct you. It's http://gallerypanos.fotopic.net ! Not with www

[Olympios]

Views of the Kallidromou tunnel. The biggest ever constructed in Greece (double tunnel 2 X 9 km)