TrainOSE

TrainOSE S.A.
ΤραινΟΣΕ Α.Ε.
State-owned company, formerly OSE subsidiary
Industry Rail transport
Founded 2008 (as independent from OSE)
Headquarters Athens, Greece
Key people
President and managing director:
Thanasis Ziliaskopoulos[1]
Products Rail transport, cargo transport
Revenue Decrease € 82,998,327,93 (-1.9%) (2012) [2]
Increase € 4,687,078.84 (2012)
Increase € 272,892.36 (2012)
Number of employees
1785
Website http://www.trainose.gr/

TrainOSE S.A. (Greek: ΤραινΟΣΕ Α.Ε., pronounced trenosé) is a railway company in Greece which currently operates all passenger and freight trains on OSE lines. The company, formerly a subsidiary of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), has been from 2008 an independent state-owned company. TrainOSE employs all train crews, operators and manages the rail services throughout the Greek railway network, but does not own any rolling stock, leasing rolling stock owned by OSE instead. TrainOSE is planned to be privatised (March 2016).[3]

Network of the Hellenic Railways:
     main,      secondary,      under construction.

Domestic services

Mainline passenger services

Departures board at Athens Central (Larissa station), showing different types of passenger trains

TrainOSE operates three types of regional rail passenger services on which include "Regular" trains (Greek: Κοινή αμαξοστοιχία, regular/common train), Express trains (Greek: Ταχεία) and Intercity (IC) trains.

The regular rail service is the slowest, with trains making frequent stops, while it is also the cheapest available. Express trains are faster trains, making fewer stops in sections served by regular trains. Intercity (IC) trains are the fastest but the most expensive. The needed supplement on Intercity (IC) trains typically doubled or tripled the base fare respectively, but today this is determined more by the different competing forms of transport, mainly air transport. Car transport is also available on night services on the main line from Athens to Thessaloniki.

Passenger accommodation is similar in all classes of long distance trains. Seat reservation, bar and restaurant facilities are available on long distance express and on Intercity (IC) trains.

Numbering of the trains is determined by the type of the train. Regular trains (and also Proastiakos suburban/commuter rail service trains) have four-digit train numbers, Express trains have three-digit train numbers and Intercity (IC) and Intercity trains have two-digit train numbers, preceded by the symbols IC.

The following table shows the situation as of August 2011.[4] Numbers indicate trains on each direction on weekdays (Monday-Friday), excluding public holidays.

Passenger services by TrainOSE
Service Intercity
(IC)
Express &
regular
Athens-Thessaloniki 6 1
Thessaloniki-Alexandroupoli 1 1
Athens-Leianokladi[5] 2
Athens-Chalkis 11
Thessaloniki-Edessa 11
Larissa-Volos 9
Athens-Kalampaka 1
Thessaloniki-Kalampaka 1
Palaiofarsalos-Kalampaka 2
Alexandroupoli-Ormenio 3
Leianokladi-Lamia-Stylis 12
Diakofto-Kalavryta 3
Larisa-Thessaloniki 12

Suburban/Commuter rail services between Piraeus - Athens - Athens International Airport and Kiato are not listed. In addition to the above regional rail services on the OSE network, TrainOSE also operates two suburban/commuter rail services on the remnants of the former Peloponesse metre gauge network:

A limited seasonal/tourist service of one train per day also operates as part of the Pelion railway.

Journey 2015 (April)
Athens – Thebes 1:05
Athens – lianokladi (Lamia) 2:23
Athens – Larisa 4:00
Athens – Thessaloniki 5:23
Thessaloniki - Serres 2:04
Thessaloniki – Alexandroupoli 6:35
Thessaloniki - Edessa 1:22
Source: Trainose

Proastiakos commuter rail service

Main article: Proastiakos

Proastiakos (Greek: Προαστιακός, meaning "suburban") is the name used for the suburban (commuter rail) services of TrainOSE in the Athens and Thessaloniki areas. Proastiakos was initially an independent subsidiary within the OSE group, but has since been merged with TrainOSE S.A. The network infrastructure, even if partly purpose-built for the Proastiakos service, is part of the national railway network of OSE, and as such is used by the regional rail services, even freight.

Proastiakos suburban trains at Piraeus railway station

Proastiakos is a relatively new development, with the first service inaugurated for 2004 Athens Olympic Games, between Athens International Airport and Athens (via Neratziotissa station, close to the Olympic Stadium). The commuter rail services that are currently operated by Proastiakos include the lines on the 'main corridor' of Piraeus–Athens–Ano Liosia, Ano Liosia–Athens International Airport, Ano Liosia–Corinth–Kiato; and between the cities of Thessaloniki and Larissa.

The rolling stock of the Proastiakos commuter rail services include of Class 460 Siemens Desiro five-car electric multiple units (EMU), used on the electrified sections of the Ano Liosia–Athens International Airport, Ano Liosia–Corinth–Kiato and Thessaloniki–Larissa lines; while Stadler GTW 2/6 DMUs and MAN-2000 DMUs are used on the non electrified section between Piraeus–Athens–Ano Liosia.

In Athens, Poastiakos provides connections with ISAP (Metro Line 1) at Neratziotissa station, Athens Metro line 2 at Athens Central (Larissa station) and Athens Metro line 3 at Plakentias station; while it is also the only passenger rail service from Athens to Peloponnese, providing connections with the Peloponnese metre gauge network at Corinth and Kiato stations. This alone has somewhat played a wider role in providing actual regional rail links, than just being a pure suburban-commuter rail service.

Freight rail

As of February 2011 the current regular freight services of TrainOSE consist of:

Other irregular national and international freight services also exist.

International services

A TCDD passenger train next to a Greek freight train at Pythion station, where OSE's network connects to that of TCDD (2007)

On 13 February 2011, due to the Greek financial crisis and subsequent budget cuts by the Greek government, all international services were suspended.[6] The Greek railway system used to connect with the railways of neighbouring countries Bulgaria at Promahonas (Koulata) and at Ormenion, with Turkey at Pythio and with the railways of the Former Yugoslavic Republic of Macedonia at Idomeni.

The passenger services from Greece that ran to neighbouring countries until February 2011 were:

However, in May 2014 some international services were re-introduced on the following lines:[7]

See also

References

  1. http://www.yme.gr/?getwhat=7&tid=21&aid=2199&id=
  2.  PDF
  3. Kambas, Michelle (reporting); Koutantou, Aggeliki (reporting); Weir, Keith (editing) (21 March 2016). "Greece delays bid deadline for railway companies". Reuters. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. TrainOSE timetable, valid from 19 June 2011. Some services were cancelled after the publication of the timetable.
  5. Train 1510 +3520
  6. "Important Greece Train Update". InterRail News. InterRailNet.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  7. TrainOSE - International Railway Services
  8. "Travel disruptions in Europe due to refugee situation]". Interrail. 2015-09-18. Retrieved 2015-09-20.
  9. (Greek)

External links

Media related to Rail transport in Greece at Wikimedia Commons

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