Thessaly Railways

Thessaly Railways
1955
Volos Latomeion Agia Georgios Velestinon Rizomylos Velestinon town Stefanovikio Armenio Aerino Kypseli Chalkodonion Melia Rigion Eretria Chrome Mines railway Chalki Dasolophon Larissa Sitochoron Farsala Evidion Enotiki Paliofarsalos Stasis Sofadon Sofades Karditsa Stasis Issari Fanario Fanario Horio Magoula Kalyvia Drossero Trikala Kefalovrysso Vassiliki Theopetra Kalambaka

The network of Thessaly Railways consisted of the following lines:

• Volos—Velestinon. The line extended from Volos station to the city centre along Dimitriados Street.
• Velestinon—Kalampaka, connecting with the Athens-Larissa-Thessaloniki standard gauge mainline at Palaiofarsalos. This section had a maximum gradient of 3% between Velestinon and Aerinon.
• Velestinon—Larissa, terminating to the Thessaly Railways station, next to the mainline (standard gauge) station.
• Volos—Mileai (Pelion railway)

Construction started in 1882 under the general management of chief engineer Evaristo de Chirico. The section from Volos to Larissa, 61 kilometres (38 mi) long, was inaugurated on 22 April 1884 by King George I. The 142-kilometre (88 mi) section from Velestinon to Kalambaka was completed on 16 June 1886.

Thessaly Railways
2009
to Leianokladi Domokos Neo Monastiri Palaiofarsalos Imperia Sofades Karditsa Orfana Fanari Magoula Karditsa Trikala Doxaras Kalambaka Kranon Efira Mezourlos Larissa 348.813 00.000 Larissa–Volos railway Chalki 10.887 Girtoni Melia 16.814 Elatia 18.37 km 18.370 Evangelismos 19.4 km 19.400 Tempi Kypseli 23.381 Armenio 29.131 Agia Paraskevi Stefanovikeio 32.016 Rizomylos 38.417 Rapsani Velestino 41.516 Papapouli Agia Georgios 43.000 to Platy Latomeio 49.632 Melissiatika 55.612 Volos 61.168 km

A MAN DMU at Kalampaka station, with the rocks of Meteora in the background

The Hellenic State Railways (OSE) absorbed Thessaly Railways in 1955.

In 1960 the line from Larissa to Volos was converted to standard gauge and was connected at Larissa with the mainline from Athens to Thessaloniki. For the section between Latomeio and Volos the standard gauge line follows a different route with an additional halt at Melissiatika. The standard gauge line is physically connected to the Athens-Thessaloniki mainline, allowing OSE to run through services to Volos from Athens and Thessaloniki. Volos station was converted to dual gauge, in order to accommodate trains of the two branches. Parts of the station and the track towards the city centre were at this period of a unique triple-gauge system: standard gauge for Larissa trains, metre gauge for Kalambaka trains and 600 mm gauge for Pelion trains.

In 1970 the network was taken over by the new Hellenic Railways Organisation, successor of the Hellenic State Railways.

In 2001 the section between Palaiofarsalos and Kalampaka was converted to standard gauge and physically connected at Palaiofarsalos with the mainline from Athens to Thessaloniki. Volos station was converted to exclusively standard gauge.[3] The section to the city centre was abandoned and covered with asphalt. The remaining metre gauge section (Volos-Velestino-Palaiofarsalos) was closed in 1999.

Freight traffic declined sharply when the state-imposed monopoly of OSE for the transport of agricultural products and fertilisers ended in the early 1990s. Many small stations of the network with little passenger traffic were closed down, especially on the mainline section and between Karditsa and Kalampaka. However, travel times improved and the unification of rail gauge allowed direct services, even InterCity services, to link Volos and Kalambaka with Athens and Thessaloniki.

Recently (August 2009) TrainOSE S.A. proceeded to a drastic cutback of passenger services on Thessaly lines.[4] There are only six local trains on each direction on Larissa-Volos line and just four on Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka. In addition, there is one train from Athens to Kalambana and back (884/885) and one InterCity train from Athens to Volos and back (IC40/IC41).

The mainline of Thessaly was electrified and some services are now using HellasSprinter electric locomotives and Siemens Desiro EMUs. There are proposals to electrify the branch lines as well, in order to allow through services from Volos and Kalampaka to Thessaloniki.

A 1937 vintage DMU for an EMOS special at Velestino (2009)

When the Hellenic Railways Organisation converted the section Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka to standard gauge as a branch of the mainline, the metre gauge section from Velestino to Palaiofarsalos was cut off. This section is maintained by the Museum Railways Company or EMOS (Greek: Εταιρεία Μουσειακών Σιδηροδρόμων or ΕΜΟΣ). EMOS operates on this section a former SPAP Linke-Hofmann DMU, usually between Velestino and Aerino.

EMOS preserves a variety of rolling stock owned by the Hellenic Railways Organisation under long term loan. Most significant is a vintage Linke-Hofmann DMU-2 (1937), formerly of Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways. They also have a Nippon Sharyo diesel locomotive, formerly of the Aliveri Coalmines of the Public Power Corporation and there are plans to restore a Jung steam locomotive in storage at Volos.

In addition, the old single line passing through Tempi Valley, which was cut off from the mainline when new tunnels were constructed, is used as a tourist attraction with light railway vehicles.

• Media related to Pelion railway at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Thessaly Railways metre gauge line at Wikimedia Commons