Athens Tram

This article is about the modern tram network that has operated in Athens since 2004. For Athens' first-generation tram system that operated from 1882-1960, see Trams in Athens.
Athens Tram
Operation
Locale Athens, Greece
Open 19 July 2004[1]
Routes 3[2]
Owner(s) Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY)
Operator(s) Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY)
Infrastructure
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
(standard gauge)[1]
Stock 35 Sirio vehicles[1]
Statistics
Route length 27 km (16.8 mi)[3]
Stops 48[1]

     Athens Tram

SEF terminal station of Athens Tram system.
Line length: 27 km (17 mi)
Track gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Legend
0,000 SEF
0,540 Neo Faliro
1,360 Moschato
1,925 Kallithea
2,350 Tzitzifies
2,900 Delta Falirou
3,425 Aghia Skepi
4,100 Trokantero
4,585 Parko Flisvou
5,195 Flisvos
5,595 Batis
14,200 Syntagma
13,435 Zappio
12,560 Leoforos Vouliagmenis
12,035 Fix
11,410 Kasomouli
10,850 Neos Kosmos
10,425 Baknana
9,765 Aigaiou
9,250 Aghias Fotinis-Plateia
8,785 Megalou Alexandrou
8,500 Agia Paraskevi
8,120 Medeas-Mykalis
7,710 Evangeliki Scholi
7,360 Achilleos
6,825 Amfitheas
6,385 Panagitsa
5,955 Mouson
6,090 Edem
6,640 Pikrodafni
7,080 Marina Alimou
7,600 Kalamaki
8,125 Zefiros
8,660 Loutra Alimou
9,175 Elliniko
9,555 1st Aghiou Kosma
9,985 2nd Aghiou Kosma
10,705 Aghios Alexandros
11,180 Ellinon Olimpionikon
11,805 Kentro Istioploias
12,400 Platia Vergoti
12,920 Paralia Glifadas
13,460 Paleo Dimarhio
13,895 Platia Katraki
14,245 Aggelou Metaxa
14,740 Platia Esperidon
15,195 Kolymvitirio
16,040 Asklipiio Voulas

The Athens Tram is the modern public tram network system serving Athens, Greece. It is now owned and operated by Urban Rail Transport (STASY) S.A. (Greek: ΣΤΑΣΥ Α.Ε.).

STASY operates a fleet of 35 Sirio vehicles,[1] which serve 3 tram lines[2] and 48 tram stops.[1] The tram network spans a total length of 27 kilometres (16.8 mi),[3] and covers ten Athenian suburbs. This network runs from Syntagma Square to the southwestern suburb of Palaio Faliro, where the line splits in two branches; the first runs along the Athens coastline toward the southern suburb of Voula, while the other heads toward the Piraeus district of Neo Faliro. The network covers the majority of the city's Saronic Gulf coastline. Athens' STASY tram system provides average daily service to 65,000 passengers, and employs 345 people.

History

Trams in the early 1950s, Omonoia Square.

Old tram networks (1908-1960)

Main article: Trams in Athens

Athens Tram began its operations in 1882 with horse tramways. After 1908, the metre gauge tram network became electrified[1] and was extended to 21 lines.

The original Athens tram system ceased operations in 1960 and was replaced by trolleybuses and thermal buses.[1]

However, a standard gauge tram system was constructed along the perimeter of Piraeus Harbour by the Hellenic Electric Railways.

Modern tram system

Tram in Athens

In March 2001, Tram S.A. was established as a public utility company under the supervision of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, as a subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. the state company which developed the Athens Metro network.[1][4] The company started the construction of the tram lines in the beginning of 2002, while the commercial launch of the system took place in July 2004, a few weeks prior to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The construction of the tram network was financed by the Third European Regional Development Fund and Greek state funds.[1]

In March 2011, the Greek Government passed Law 3920[5] to allow ISAP and Athens Tram to be absorbed by Athens Metro Operations Company (AMEL). The resulting company was renamed "STASY S.A." (Greek: ΣΤΑΣΥ Α.Ε.) and is a subsidiary of OASA S.A. The merger was officially announced on June 10, 2011.[6]

Ticketing policy

Typical tram station

Ticket counters operate in some of the stations. Also automatic ticket machines with touch screens are located at each tram station.[7]

Purchased tickets are valid for 70 minutes (1 hour 10 minutes) after validation and can be used for several rides on most other means of public transport in Athens including the metro, buses, trolleybuses, and the urban part of the suburban railway (between Piraeus, Magoula and Koropi stations, excluding the airport). Passengers must validate their tickets at the machines at the station where they board at the start of their ride. The normal adult flat fare is 1.20 Euros.[8]

There are daily and weekly tickets, as well as monthly cards which also apply for all means of public transport in Athens.[9] Fares are checked frequently; passengers who fail to show a validated ticket or a monthly card are penalized by a fine of 60 times the price of a standard ticket.[10]

Children under 6, the handicapped, and persons currently enlisted in the military are eligible for free transportation.[11]

Routes and stops

Athens Tram has three routes named after ancient Greeks: Thucydides, Aristotle and Plato. Trams run from approximately 5:00am to midnight daily.[12][13]

The following table lists the routes and the stops for the Athens tram:

Athens Tram routes
Route Map colorI First section opened Latest section opened Latest stop opened Route Length (km, mi) Stops
Blue 19 July 2004 16 November 2007 16 November 2007 (Asklippio Voulas) SEF – Asklippio Voulas 16.1 km (10.0 mi) 31
Red 19 July 2004 none none SEF – Syntagma 14.2 km (8.8 mi) 28
Green 19 July 2004 16 November 2007 16 November 2007 (Asklippio Voulas) Syntagma – Asklippio Voulas 18.2 km (11.3 mi) 37

Plans for extensions

Further extensions are planned towards the major commercial port of Piraeus. The expansion would include 12 new stations and increase the overall length of the tram system by 5.4 km (3 mi).[14]

See also

Notes

^I As of October 2012, none of the organisations behind the construction or operation of the Athens Metro specify the exact line colour values for web or print, but they agree on a general colour scheme for identifying lines.[2][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Urban Rail Transport S.A.: Tramway". Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY). July 17, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-25.
  2. 1 2 3 "Athens Public Transportation Map" (PDF). Athens Urban Transport Organisation. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  3. 1 2 "Urban Rail Transport S.A. - THE COMPANY - Commercial Exploitation - TRAM". Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY). Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  4. ↑ "Attiko Metro S.A. - The Company". ametro.gr. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  5. ↑ Law 3920, Government Gazette issue A-33, 2011-03-03.
  6. ↑ Ministerial Decision 28737/2637, Government Gazette issue B-1454, 2011-06-17
  7. ↑ "Tram SA - Points Of Sales of tickets". TramSA.gr. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  8. ↑ http://www.stasy.gr/index.php?id=78#c86
  9. ↑ "Tram SA - Cards". TramSA.gr. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  10. ↑ "Tram SA - Fines". TramSA.gr. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  11. ↑ "Tram SA - Free transportasion". TramSA.gr. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  12. ↑ "Urban Rail Transport S.A.: First & Last Train Departures". Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY). Retrieved 2013-07-25.
  13. ↑ "Urban Rail Transport S.A.: Detailed TRAM Timetables". Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY). Retrieved 2013-07-25.
  14. ↑ http://www.ametro.gr/page/default.asp?id=4420&la=2
  15. ↑ "Athens Metro Regulatory Plan" (PDF). Attiko Metro S.A. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trams in Athens.

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