Athens Suburban Railway

The Athens Suburban Railway,^[2] (Greek: Προαστιακός Αθήνας, romanized: Proastiakós Athínas) is a commuter rail service that connects the city of Athens and its metropolitan area with other places in Attica, Boeotia, Corinthia and the city of Chalcis in Euboea.^[3]

Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos)
An OSE class 460 train in the median strip of Attiki Odos, bound for Athens Airport.
Overview
Owner	OSE (Lines), Gaiose (Buildings and Trains)
Area served	Attica, parts of Central Greece and the Peloponnese
Transit type	Commuter rail
Number of lines	4
Number of stations	45
Website	www.hellenictrain.gr
Operation
Began operation	30 July 2004 (2004-07-30) (Line 1) 27 September 2005 (2005-09-27) (Line 2) 30 July 2017 (2017-07-30) (Line 3 and Line 4)
Operator(s)	Hellenic Train
Number of vehicles	20 OSE class 460 EMUs 17 OSE Class 560 DMUs
Technical
System length	298.20 km (185.29 mi)^[1]^: 2, 8–9
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC, 50 Hz
Top speed	160 km/h (99 mph)
System map Legend Kiato–Aigio line Chalcis Kiato Avlida Zevgolatio Kalochori-Panteichi Corinth Agios Georgios Loutraki Dilesi Michanikou towards Thessaloniki Isthmos Oinoi Agioi Theodoroi Oinofyta Kineta Agios Thomas Megara Avlona Nea Peramos Sfendali Magoula Afidnes Aspropyrgos Agios Stefanos Ano Liosia Dekeleia Acharnes Zefyri Acharnes Railway Center Kato Acharnes Metamorfosi Agioi Anargyroi Irakleio Pyrgos Vasilissis Neratziotissa Athens Kifisias Rouf Pentelis Tavros Line 3 via Syntagma Rentis Plakentias Lefka Elliniko Metro│OSE Piraeus   Pallini Paiania–Kantza Koropi   Athens Airport Key planned interchange under construction Athens Metro other lines This diagram: view talk edit

The first Suburban line, linking central Athens with the Athens International Airport, was inaugurated two weeks before the 2004 Olympic Games. Over the years, the network has been successively expanded to Corinth (2005), Piraeus (2007), Kiato (2007), and Chalcis (2009).

History

"Proastiakos SA" was founded in 2003 as a subsidiary of OSE to serve the operation of the suburban network in the urban complex of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games. The first line, linking central Athens with Athens International Airport, was inaugurated on 30 July 2004, two weeks before the 2004 Olympic Games. This first section was not electrified and operated DMU'S every half hour.^[4] In January 2005 the test routes to Corinth started and the line was delivered to the public on 27 September that same year.^[5] Also in 2005 Proastiakos was absorbed by the company TRAINOSE SA., which was now responsible for providing all rail passenger and commercial transport. In 2007, with the completion of the works of the Airport-Patras line to Kiato, Proastiakos expanded services on what is now Line 5^[6] while in 2009 services where expanded to Chalkida forming Line 3.^[7] TrainOSE has been operating since 2008 as a company independent of OSE, still using the Proastiakos emblem. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. Services from Athens Airport & Athens were cut back, with some ticket offices closing, reducing the reliability of services and passenger numbers.

However, from 2010, the electrification works of the lines with 25 kV AC, 50 Hz began to be completed, allowing the use of the Siemens Desiro 460 trains. The electrification projects were completed in the SKA department. - Kiato in 2010,^[8][9] on the Oinoi–Chalcis line in 2013,^[10] in the sections SKA-Oinoi and Treis Gefyres – SKA in 2015,^[11] and finally in the section Three Bridges – Piraeus in 2018.^[12] In fact, the advent of electrification in SS. Athenson July 30, 2017 led to the modification of the lines of the Suburban Railway to have as a starting point the central station of the capital.^[13] In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane^[14] infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. On 1 February 2018, the electrification of the Piraeus-Athens Central station section of the network was completed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, TrainOSE provide free antiseptic gel to the passenger public in order to disinfect those who use the commuter train.^[15]

Lines and services

Since 1 August 2023^[update], the Athens Suburban Railway consists of four lines. Line A1 runs between Piraeus and Athens Airport, while Line A2 reinforces the preceding service along the median of the A6 motorway between the Airport and Ano Liosia. Line A3 runs between Athens and Chalcis, and Line A4 runs between Piraeus and Kiato.^[2][16] The train service between Kiato and Aigio is a local Peloponnese service.^[17] The Athens Suburban Railway operates from 4:30 am to midnight daily, and there are 45 stations in the network.^[2]

On 18 January 2012, services were "temporarily" suspended on routes from Piraeus - Ano Liossia.^[18] According to a TrainOSE spokesperson, the interruption is due to technical problems; however no information on the progress of any work was given,^[18] services were rerouted via SKA.

Main services

The following table lists the routes and the stations for the Athens Suburban Railway since 15 May 2022.^[2] Line numbers were introduced on 1 August 2023.^[16]

Athens Suburban and Regional Railway routes

Prefix	Route	Stations	Length	Time	Map	Ref.
12xx	Piraeus–Athens–Athens Airport (A1)	19	48.23 km	1:03		^[19]^[20]^[1]^: 2, 23
13xx, 23xx	Piraeus–Athens–Kiato (A4)	20	120.70 km	1:40		^[21]^[1]^: 2, 8, 11
15xx, 25xx, 35xx	Athens–Chalcis (A3)	17	82.80 km	1:18		^[22]^[1]^: 2
22xx	Ano Liosia–Paiania–Kantza–Athens Airport (A2)	12	33.18 km	0:34		^[19]^[20]^[1]^: 8, 23
42xx	Ano Liosia–Paiania–Kantza (A2)	10	18.60 km	0:23
3xx	Kiato–Aigio	9	70.38 km	0:52		^[1]^: 9

List of Stations

†	Terminal station
*	Metro/OSE station
*†	Connection/interchange with Metro or Hellenic Train services

The suburban railway connects with other rail services at the following stations:

#	Station	Lines	Services	Connections	Regional unit
1	Acharnes	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
2	SKA *	Ano Liosia–Airport Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
3	Afidnes	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
4	Agioi Anargyroi	Athens–Thessaloniki			West Athens
5	Agios Georgios	Athens–Chalcis			Boeotia
6	Agios Stefanos	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
7	Agioi Theodoroi	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport			Corinthia
8	Agios Thomas	Athens–Chalcis			Boeotia
9	Aigio †	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato		Bus^[23]	Achaea
10	Akrata	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Achaea
11	Ano Liosia	Piraeus–Kiato Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport			West Attica
12	Aspropyrgos	Piraeus–Kiato			West Attica
13	Athens *†	Athens–Thessaloniki			Central Athens
14	Athens Airport *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport			East Attica
15	Avlida	Athens–Chalcis			Euboea
16	Avlona	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
17	Chalcis	Athens–Chalcis			Euboea
18	Corinth	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens			Corinthia
19	Dekeleia	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
20	Diakopto *	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Achaea
21	Dilesi	Athens–Chalcis			Boeotia
22	Doukissis Plakentias *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport			North Athens
23	Eliki	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Achaea
24	Irakleio	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			North Athens
25	Kalochori-Panteichi	Athens–Chalcis			Boeotia
26	Kato Acharnes	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			West Athens
27	Kiato *	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato		Bus^[23]	Corinthia
28	Kifisias	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport			North Athens
29	Kinetta	Piraeus–Kiato			West Attica
30	Koropi *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			East Attica
31	Lefka	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			Piraeus
32	Lygia	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Corinthia
33	Lykoporia	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Achaea
34	Magoula	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens			West Attica
35	Megara	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens			West Attica
36	Metamorfosi	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			North Athens
37	Nea Peramos	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens			West Attica
38	Nerantziotissa *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport			North Athens
39	Oinofyta	Athens–Chalcis			Boeotia
40	Oinoi *	Ano Liosia–Airport			Boeotia
41	Paiania–Kantza *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			East Attica
42	Pallini *	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			East Attica
43	Pentelis	Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport			North Athens
44	Piraeus *	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			Piraeus
45	Platanos	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Achaea
46	Pyrgos Vasilissis	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			West Athens
47	Rentis	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			Piraeus
48	Rouf	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			Central Athens
49	Sfendali	Athens–Chalcis			East Attica
50	Tavros	Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato			South Athens
51	Xylokastro	Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato			Corinthia
52	Zefyri	Piraeus–Kiato			West Athens
53	Zevgolatio	Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Athens			Corinthia

Tickets and Scheduling

 

Athens Suburban Railway map c.2012, in English and Greek

The suburban train, in the sections Magoula-Koropi and Piraeus-Dhekelia are part of the urban zone of OASA, therefore the single ticket that is used and combined with all means of transport in Athens is valid.^[24] Outside the urban area, a different ticket is valid, which is priced in stages and issued by Hellenic Train.

Photography on the network

The photography in the publicly accessible areas of both OSE and the Athens Suburban Railway (defined as passenger space on trains and at stations) is permitted, as the right of photographers to photograph within the Suburban Railway is covered by the Constitution. The issue was mediated by the Ombudsman between 2004 and 2008 on the occasion of the attempt to temporarily ban photography during the Olympic Games. The court ruled that "the requirement of a 'photography permit' is tantamount to a ban" and that "there is no legal authority to impose restrictions on the right to photograph spaces and slides by definition accessible to the public".^[25]

Future expansion

New stations

• Additional station in Kryoneri by 2021.^[26][27]
• Additional station in Gerakas.

New services

• Larissa Station-Agios Dionysios via Piraeus connection with Cretan ships, (with the final destination being Thessaloniki)
• Reopening the suburban double line from SKA to Ano Liosia, MAK, Neoktista,^[28] Aspropyrgos Refineries, Old Aspropyrgos Station, and Elefsina, with the service of Hellenic Petroleum.^[29] The Elefsina line is planned to continue to Loutropyrgos and the old Megaron railway with a single regular line.^[30]
• Reopening from Agios Apostolos to Isthmus.

Lavrio branch line

A nine-station, 32 km extension of the Athens Suburban Railway from Koropi to Lavrio was announced in 2016, potentially connecting 300,000 more people to the rail network at a cost of €160 million.^[31][32] The project involves the construction of two new stations at Markopoulo and Lavrio Port, and five intermediate stops at Kalyvia, Keratea, Daskaleio, Thorikos and Kyprianos.^[31][33] The Athens-Lavrio distance will be 55 minutes and Koropi-Lavrio 28 minutes with the completion of the extension.

Loutraki line reopening

In February 2019, OSE accepted a bid for the €12 million project to convert the former metre-gauge line between Isthmos and Loutraki to standard gauge, connect it to the Athens Airport–Patras railway and reopen it to passenger traffic by November 2021.^[34] Mytilineos–Xanthakis was selected as the contractor of the project. Due to an appeal by a rival bidder, the signing of the contract was delayed until 12 June 2019.^[35] The project consists of the electrification of the Isthmos–Loutraki line and building two new stops, one at Casino and the other in Loutraki.^[36]

Rafina branch

A €40 million branch line from Doukissis Plakentias station to the town of Rafina has also been proposed.^[37] with an extension to the Airport via Artemida and Rafina.^[38]

See also

• Hellenic Railways Organisation
• Hellenic Train
• Proastiakos
• Public transport in Athens
• Athens Metro
• Athens Airport–Patras railway
• Piraeus–Patras railway
• Proastiakos Patras
• Thessaloniki Suburban Railway
• Rail transport in Greece

References

1. (PDF). OSE. Athens. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
2. . Hellenic Train. Athens. 26 October 2022. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
3. "Προαστιακές Γραμμές Αθήνας" [Athens Suburban Lines] (in Greek).
4. "Και ο προαστιακός σιδηρόδρομος μπήκε σε τροχιά". Η Καθημερινή. Αθήνα. 31 July 2004. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
5. "Προαστιακός: Ξεκίνησε η νέα γραμμή Αθήνα-Κόρινθος". euro2day.gr. 26 Sep 2005. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
6. Κασσίμη, Αλεξάνδρα (15 June 2007). "Ο προαστιακός από τον Ιούλιο πάει Κιάτο με... 200 χιλιόμετρα". Η Καθημερινή. Αθήνα. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
7. "Ο προαστιακός έπιασε... Χαλκίδα". Τα Νέα. Αθήνα. 6 June 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
8. "ΣΚΑ – ΚΙΑΤΟ". Αθήνα: ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
9. "Σε 55 λεπτά το δρομολόγιο Αθήνα - Κιάτο με τον προαστιακό σιδηρόδρομο". Τα Νέα. Αθήνα. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
10. "ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΚΙΝΗΣΗ ΟΙΝΟΗ – ΧΑΛΚΙΔΑ". Αθήνα: ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
11. "ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΚΙΝΗΣΗ ΓΡΑΜΜΗΣ ΑΘΗΝΑ – ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗ". Αθήνα: ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
12. "ΗΛΕΚΤΡΟΚΙΝΗΣΗ 3 ΓΕΦΥΡΕΣ – ΠΕΙΡΑΙΑΣ". Αθήνα: ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
13. "Σημαντικές αλλαγές στον Προαστιακό Σιδηρόδρομο Αθήνας από 30/07/2017". Αθήνα: ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
14. "It's a new day for TRAINOSE as FS acquires the entirety of the company's shares". ypodomes.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
15. "Κορωνοϊός: Αντισηπτικά στον προαστιακό της Αθήνας (εικόνα)". Athens Voice.
16. (PDF). Hellenic Train (in English and Greek). Athens. 31 July 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
17. Papaioannou, Ioanna (19 June 2023). (PDF). Hellenic Train (in Greek). Athens. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
18. "Υπολειτουργεί ο Προαστιακός της Αθήνας, αλλά παραδίδονται νέοι σταθμοί". June 25, 2012.
19. (PDF). Hellenic Train (in Greek). Athens. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
20. (PDF). Hellenic Train (in Greek). Athens. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
21. (PDF). Hellenic Train (in Greek). Athens. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
22. (PDF). Hellenic Train (in Greek). Athens. 20 June 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
23. (PDF). Athens: TrainOSE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
24. "Μέσα Κομίστρου". ΟΑΣΑ Α.Ε. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
25. Απαγόρευση φωτογράφησης σιδηροδρομικών εγκαταστάσεων 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine Συνήγορος του Πολίτη
26. Η Αττική Οδός ανέλαβε την εκπόνηση μελετών για τις οδικές και σιδηροδρομικές επεκτάσεις σε Ραφήνα και Λαύριο
27. Ολγα, Κλώντζα (2019-05-16). "Ο Προαστιακός θα κάνει στάση σε Κρυονέρι και Γέρακα". Ειδήσεις - νέα - Το Βήμα Online (in Greek). Retrieved 2019-05-18.
28. "H ATTIKO MEΤΡΟ ΑΕ ΚΑΙ ΤΟ ΜΕΤΡΟ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ" (PDF).
29. . Archived from the original on 2018-02-04. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
30. ΕΡΓΟΣΕ Μελέτες
31. "Koropi – Lavrio". Athens: ERGOSE. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
32. "Suburban Train to Pull in to Lavrio Port by 2019". GTP Headlines. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
33. Κορωπί-Λαύριο 2020-06-22 at the Wayback Machine ΕΡΓΟΣΕ
34. "Isthmos – Loutraki". Athens: ERGOSE. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
35. "Προαστιακός στο Λουτράκι: Κλείδωσε η ημερομηνία υπογραφής της σύμβασης". PeloponnisosNews Online (in Greek). Corinth. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
36. Xάρτης Προαστιακού Αθηνών 2021 με μελλοντικές επεκτάσεις συντάκτης Στέργιος Ρουμελιώτης
37. Toniolos, Panagis. "Οδική και Σιδηροδρομική σύνδεση Ραφήνας" (PDF) (in Greek). ADT OMEGA. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
38. "Χ.Σπίρτζης:Είχαμε συγκεκριμένο σχέδιο για όσους που σήκωσαν τα βάρη των μνημονίων|06/06/19|ΕΡΤ" – via www.youtube.com.

Railway map