Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways

Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways
Locale Attica, Peloponnese
Dates of operation 1882–1962
Successor Hellenic State Railways
Track gauge 1,000mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in)

Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways or SPAP (Greek: Σιδηρόδρομοι Πειραιώς-Αθηνών-Πελοποννήσου or Σ.Π.Α.Π.) was a Greek railway company founded in 1882, which owned and operated the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) (metre gauge) Piraeus–Patras railway line connecting Piraeus and Athens to Peloponnese. The company was nationalized in 1954 and absorbed by the Hellenic State Railways in 1962.

Kalamata station, circa 1910
Corinth station, ca 1910

The first line section between Piraeus, Athens and Elefsis was completed in 1884. The line reached Corinth in 1885 and Patras in 1887. In the meantime, an eastern branch from Corinth reached Argos and Nafplion in 1886. The western branch reached Pyrgos and finally Kyparissia in 1902. SPAP also acquired the line between Myloi (near Argos) and Kalamata via Tripoli, from the bankrupt Southern Greece Railways (Sidirodromoi Mesimbrinis Ellados). The two routes to Kalamata, via Patras and via Tripoli, merged at Zevgolatio.

Short branches were also constructed to serve important towns: Argos-Nafplion, Lefktro-Megalopolis, Kavasila-Vartholomio-Kyllini, Vartholomio-Kyllini Spa (Loutra), Pyrgos to Ancient Olympia, Asprochoma-Messini and, much later (1954), Isthmos-Loutraki. Diakofto Kalavrita Railway was also constructed by SPAP, but at a smaller gauge (750 mm or 2 ft 5 1⁄2 in).

The line from Piraeus to Corinth was 99 km, from Corinth to Kalamata via Tripoli 236 km and from Corinth to Zevgolatio via Patras and Pyrgos 347 km. The total length of the system with the branch lines was 731 km.

In 1929 SPAP acquired the Heraklion-Lavrion section of Athens-Lavrion Railway, formerly operated by Attica Railways, and constructed a link from Kato Liossia (today Agioi Anargyroi) to Heraklion, to connect the Lavrion line to its network (1931). Passenger services on this branch were suspended in 1957 and it was cut off from the rest of the network in 1962, due to the construction of the Athens-Thessaloniki highway.

During the Axis occupation of Greece in World War 2, and especially during the withdrawal of German troops in 1944, the network and the rolling stock suffered extensive damages both by the German army and by Greek resistance groups. Repair of SPAP assets was time consuming and expensive. Damaged rolling stock was mainly repaired at Piraeus Engine Sheds. Normal levels of service resumed at about 1948 with the exception of the destroyed bridge of Achladokampos (between Argos and Tripoli), which was rebuilt by OSE in 1974.

In 1951 SPAP absorbed the small Pyrgos-Katakolo Railway. In 1953 SPAP absorbed Northwestern Greece Railways (SDBE), which operated a metre gauge line from Kryoneri to Messolongi and Agrinion.

In 1920 SPAP was briefly nationalized as part of the Hellenic State Railways but it became an independent company again two years later. Due to high debts, SPAP came under government control in 1939-1940 and was formally nationalized again in 1954. In 1962 the company was absorbed by the Hellenic State Railways.[1]

The economic crisis in Greece led to the suspension of all passenger and freight services on the metre gauge railway system in the Peloponnese in 2011. It is unlikely services will ever resume as a publicly run system. A short section through the port city of Patras remains open as a suburban railway.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Between 1883 and 1962 SPAP used 128 locomotives of 25 different types.

Photo Class Numbers Type Quantity Manufacturer Serial Nos. Year Power Notes
Α 1-4 0-4-0T 4 Krauss 1883
Α 5 0-4-0T 1 Krauss 1885
Α1-6 0-6-0T 6 Couillet 1888
Β 101-109 2-4-0T 8 Krauss 1883
Β 111–114 2-4-0T 4 Krauss 1888
Βς 151–155 2-4-0T 5 Henschel 1912
Γ 201-205 2-6-0T 5 Krauss
Γ 261–268 2-6-0T 8 Couillet 1890 Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway, later renumbered 211–218
Δ 251-252 2-6-0T 2 Krauss 1886 rebuilt as 4-6-0T in 1888
Δ 253-254 4-6-0T 2 Krauss 1888 rebuilt as 4-6-0T in 1888
Δ (Δα) 101–108 2-8-2 8 Vulcan Iron Works 1947 644 kW (864 hp) USATC S-118 copies
Δ (Δι) 111–120 2-8-2 10 Breda 1951 770 hp (574 kW)
Ε 151–152 4-4-0T 2 Krauss 1887
Ες 701–702 2-8-0 2 Borsig 1912
Ες 711–713 2-8-0 3 Borsig 1914
Ες 721–725 2-8-0 5 Linke-Hofmann 1925
Ες 726–728 2-8-0 3 Henschel & Sohn 1936
Ζ 500 2-6-0T 1 Vassiliadis Works 1900/1929
Ζ 501–517 2-6-0T 17 SACM Grafenstaden 1890–1901
Ζ 518–526 2-6-0T 9 Krauss 1902–1906
Ζς 530–533 2-6-0T 4 Krauss 1911
Ζς 540–542 2-6-0T 3 Krauss 1926 Ex Attica Railways
Η 551–552 2-6-0T 2 St. Léonard 1891
Θ 601–603 2-8-0 3 Krauss
Ι 651–660 2-4-0T 10 Société Belge 1889 Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway
Κ 701 0-6-0T 1 Krauss 1889 Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway, originality Kalamata Harbour
Μ 801–803 0-4-4-0 3 Krauss 1908 Mallet locomotives
ΔΚ 1–5 0-6-2RT (750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in)) 5 Cail/MPR 1891/1954
ΔΚ 11 0-6-RT (750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in)) 1 Krupp 1891

Diesel multiple units

SPAP introduced diesel railcars and multiple units early in 1937. They reduced journey times and offered good passenger facilities.

Class Type QTY Manufacturer Model Power Year Photo
ΑΚ210 Β-2 8 DWF/MAN 1937
3ΑΚ1000 B-2-2-B 7 Esslingen 1956–1957
3ΑΚ640 B-2-2-B 13 DeDietrich 1950–1952
2ΑΚ420 B-2-B 8 Linke-Hofmann 1937
ΑΔΚ01 (750mm) B-B+2+2-2
rack		 3 Billard 1958
ΑΚ2Χ155 [2] 1A-A1 3 Breda 1952

Diesel locomotives

Class Type QTY Manufacturer Model Power Year Photo
DBς320.01 1-B 1 Piraeus Works 320 HP 1961

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Law 4246/1962
  2. ↑ Ordered by the Northwestern Greece Railways (SDBE)
  • Durrant, A. E. (1972) [1966]. The Steam locomotives of Eastern Europe. Newton Abbot, Devon, UK: David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153 4077 8. 

Further reading

Nafplion train station, 1911
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