Greece - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

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Introduction

This list is based on timetable information available at January 2022, unless otherwise stated as OSE changes timetables when required. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - The Balkans) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "S+W", or in italic, refer to Eisenbahnatlas Griechenland by Schweers + Wall.

Obscure services

Services on the Peloponnese peninsula

Most, if not all, of the metre gauge services on the Peloponnese peninsula were withdrawn during the financial crisis in 2010. However the following routes do currently carry a service:-

  • Patra Suburban Railway With effect from 17 May 2021, hourly from Agios Andreas - Patra - Pio-Rio [Rio - Agios Vasileios suspended from 15 May 2018 for infrastructure works] and between Agios Andreas - Kaminia during the day with six pairs a day continuing from Kaminia to Kato Achaia
  • Katakolo - Pyrgos - Alfios - Olympia With effect from 01 September 2021 on Monday to Friday, three return trips between Pyrgos and Olympia and two between Pyrgos and Katakolo. This limited service is greatly enhanced when cruise ships are docked at Katakolo, details of those enhanced services were shown earlier in 2021 but it is unlikely that any cruise ships are currently using the port.

In 2017 TrainOSE were refusing to run enthusiast specials on the metre gauge system due to condition of the infrastructure. Any changes to this policy may appear in the Tourism & Culture section of the TrainOSE website].

Thessaloniki avoiding line: Axios - Gefira

(ERA-E 104B4; ERA-R 228C5; 18B4) GR21/1

Owing to damage following heavy rainfall in winter 2014/15, the Gallikos river bridge on the Thessaloniki - Idomeni line was closed. On repair passenger trains were banned and freights can only pass at very low speeds so when they ran, international passenger trains 334 and 335 to/from Skopje and Beograd were diverted via this alternative route. See the Idomeni cross border entry for the up to date situation but as at December 2020, GR20/1 has no booked passenger use.

Tithorea - Lianokladi via old main line

(ERA-E 105A4-B4; ERA-R 228B1-C1; 8D3-11C4) GR21/2

Since the new main line between Tithorea and Lianokladi was opened in about April 2018, a local/tourist service was introduced from 17 July 2018 via the old line, calling at intermediate stations. However this service appears to be suspended due to the Covid pandemic.

These are the train times before the service suspension:

1521 06:24 Lianokladi - Athens
SuO 3523 15:24 Lianokladi - Athens
SuO 3522 Athens - 12:22 Tithorea - Lianokladi
1520 Athens - 21:22 Tithorea - Lianokladi

Other sparse services

The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally) - fewer than five trains each way on at least three days a week - or do not run each weekday.

Thessaloniki – Idomeni – Gevgelija (North Macedonia) Suspended since 21 August 2015. A service was reinstated from 1 June to 1 October 2018 but with the cross-border section by bus.
Strymon – Kulata (Bulgaria) The cross-border section is by bus.
Thessaloniki – Alexandroupolis – Dikaia – Ormenio
Edessa – Florina
Olympia - Pyrgos - Katakolo
Diakopto – Kalavryta

Deletions since the previous edition

See also