Railways situation in Greece

[Marc Van Dyck]

We all know that international trains to and from Greece have
been (temporarily?) cancelled.

But what is the situation regarding domestic traffic ? On the lines
where international trains used to run, are there still domestic
trains available ? Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni ?

Many thanks,

Marc.

[Phil Richards]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
We all know that international trains to and from Greece have
been (temporarily?) cancelled.
But what is the situation regarding domestic traffic ? On the lines
where international trains used to run, are there still domestic
trains available ? Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni ?

I don't think a lot has changed since the major cutbacks in early 2011.
The following link lists what closed & what is still running, page was
last updated 3 April 2012:

<http://egtre.info/wiki/Greece_-_General_Information#Recent_and_future_changes>

Post by Marc Van Dyck
Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni

As far as Serres on the line towards Alexandroupoulis and nothing on the
line towards the Macedonian border.

[Nick Fotis]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
We all know that international trains to and from Greece have
been (temporarily?) cancelled.
But what is the situation regarding domestic traffic ? On the lines
where international trains used to run, are there still domestic
trains available ? Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni ?

Look in http://tickets.trainose.gr for the current train offerings (in
Greek only, unfortunately).

The Athens-Thessaloniki route has trains every 1.5 hours (approximately).
Also, Thessaloniki-Edessa (western Macedonia region) has nearly a dozen
train pairs per day.
This doesn't include Thessaloniki-Larissa regional trains (approximately
every one hour, interleaved with the Athens-Thessaloniki trains)
Thessaloniki-Alexandroupolis has 2 train pairs per day.
The trains to Idomeni were only the international services (which were cut)
There are also trains between Athens-Chalkida and Athens-Kiato (nearly
every hour), plus trains connecting Athens-airport (both Athens Metro
and TRAINOSE).

In narrow gauge, there is Diakofto-Kalavryta (3-5 train pairs/day), and
a commuter service around Patras.

N.F.

[Marc Van Dyck]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
We all know that international trains to and from Greece have
been (temporarily?) cancelled.
But what is the situation regarding domestic traffic ? On the lines
where international trains used to run, are there still domestic
trains available ? Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni ?

Look in http://tickets.trainose.gr for the current train offerings (in Greek
only, unfortunately).
The Athens-Thessaloniki route has trains every 1.5 hours (approximately).
Also, Thessaloniki-Edessa (western Macedonia region) has nearly a dozen train
pairs per day.
This doesn't include Thessaloniki-Larissa regional trains (approximately
every one hour, interleaved with the Athens-Thessaloniki trains)
Thessaloniki-Alexandroupolis has 2 train pairs per day.
The trains to Idomeni were only the international services (which were cut)
There are also trains between Athens-Chalkida and Athens-Kiato (nearly every
hour), plus trains connecting Athens-airport (both Athens Metro and
TRAINOSE).
In narrow gauge, there is Diakofto-Kalavryta (3-5 train pairs/day), and a
commuter service around Patras.
N.F.

Which means that to go between Thessaloniji and Istanbul, it would
still be possible to go by train between Thessaloniki and
Alexandropoulis, then bus (if that exists) between Alexandropoulis and
Edirne, and then train from Edirne to Istanbul again ?

[Nick Fotis]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
Which means that to go between Thessaloniji and Istanbul, it would
still be possible to go by train between Thessaloniki and
Alexandropoulis, then bus (if that exists) between Alexandropoulis and
Edirne, and then train from Edirne to Istanbul again ?

According to TRAINOSE site, there are three train pairs between
Alexandroupolis and Dikaia:

1682 (dep. 8:03, arr. 11:09)
1684 (dep. 14:42, arr. 17:48)
1686 (dep. 22:16, arr. 1:22)

Return workings mentioned are (Dikaia-Alexandroupolis):
1691 (dep. 4:26, arr. 7:34)
1683 (dep. 11:32, arr. 14:38)
1685 (dep. 18:22, arr. 21:28)

village Kastanies is the nearest place to Edirne, and probably the train
stops there (it's near Dikaia).
I do not know how easy is to cross from the D100 road into Turkey (never
tried that myself). Total distance from Google Earth seems to be nearly
7 km (1.5 hours of walk, not including border controls).
At worst, you could terminate at Dikaia and try to find a bus service to
Edirne (taxi probably would be very costly).

In the past, the typical way to cross from Greece to Turkey by rail was
either with the D490 (Friendship express) night trains that connected
Thessaloniki-Istanbul. Or, you would get the local train from Pythio to
Uzunköprü (usually, 1-2 TCDD wagons pulled by a diesel switcher, which
were attached to a train for Istanbul)

Hope this helps,
N.F.

[EE507]

I see that Greek stations have been removed from the DB-HAFAS database. Is this temporary while awaiting up to date information from OSE?

If entering the country from Bulgaria or Macedonia, are there buses across the border or no public transport at all? Specifically Gevgelija - Idomeni and Kulata - Strimon, which are shown as open on my fairly old Cooks map?

By the way, Seat61 mentions a new weekly summer Skopje - Thessaloniki train, not that this is any use for my potential visit to the Pellopenese around 1 Sep...

[Nick Fotis]

Post by EE507
I see that Greek stations have been removed from the DB-HAFAS database.
Is this temporary while awaiting up to date information from OSE?

No idea. TRAINOSE still does not run international trains, so I suppose
that HAFAS decided to remove the Greek network from their site as well.

Post by EE507
If entering the country from Bulgaria or Macedonia, are there buses across the border or no public transport at all? Specifically Gevgelija - Idomeni and Kulata - Strimon, which are shown as open on my fairly old Cooks map?

No train available, so I suspect you will have to get a taxi in order to
get transported.
And there is no passenger train from Thessaloniki to Idomeni, so you
have to run all 65+ km to Thessaloniki. Only freight trains run along
this route.

Post by EE507
By the way, Seat61 mentions a new weekly summer Skopje - Thessaloniki train, not that this is any use for my potential visit to the Pellopenese around 1 Sep...

I think this is something like the Optima train, don't know many
details. If you want me to check timings, I will (but it is not very
useful).

Regards,
N.F.

[Philip Richards]

Post by Nick Fotis

Post by EE507
If entering the country from Bulgaria or Macedonia, are there buses
across the border or no public transport at all? Specifically
Gevgelija - Idomeni and Kulata - Strimon, which are shown as open on
my fairly old Cooks map?

No train available, so I suspect you will have to get a taxi in order to
get transported.
And there is no passenger train from Thessaloniki to Idomeni, so you
have to run all 65+ km to Thessaloniki. Only freight trains run along
this route.

Seat 61 is recommending to take a bus straight from Sofia to
Thessaloniki. Pointless taking a train to the last station in Bulgaria
then struggling across the border into Greece.

Post by Nick Fotis

Post by EE507
By the way, Seat61 mentions a new weekly summer Skopje - Thessaloniki
train, not that this is any use for my potential visit to the
Pellopenese around 1 Sep...

I think this is something like the Optima train, don't know many
details. If you want me to check timings, I will (but it is not very
useful).

This was reported not to have ran last weekend. See:

<http://www.europebyrail.eu/cross-border-rail-service-to-greece-restored>

Appears OSE & MZ are blaming each other for the cancellation. Hardly
surprising as Greece isn't the best of friends with Macedonia ;-)

[Arthur Figgis]

Post by Philip Richards
Pointless taking a train to the last station in Bulgaria
then struggling across the border into Greece.

Heresy!

[Nick Fotis]

Post by Philip Richards
<http://www.europebyrail.eu/cross-border-rail-service-to-greece-restored>
Appears OSE & MZ are blaming each other for the cancellation. Hardly
surprising as Greece isn't the best of friends with Macedonia ;-)

There was a major derailment near Polýkastro (probably by rail kinks, as
the temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius), with the electric
locomotive and some freight wagons derailed and damaging catenary in the
process.

N.F.

[EE507]

Post by Nick Fotis

Post by EE507
By the way, Seat61 mentions a new weekly summer Skopje - Thessaloniki train, not that this is any use for my potential visit to the Pellopenese around 1 Sep...

I think this is something like the Optima train, don't know many
details. If you want me to check timings, I will (but it is not very
useful).

I don't know what the Optima train is, but here are the details of the weekly train pair (with an update made yesterday):
http://www.europebyrail.eu/cross-border-rail-service-to-greece-restored

[Philip Richards]

Post by Philip Richards

Post by Nick Fotis

Post by EE507
By the way, Seat61 mentions a new weekly summer Skopje - Thessaloniki train, not that this is any use for my potential visit to the Pellopenese around 1 Sep...

I think this is something like the Optima train, don't know many
details. If you want me to check timings, I will (but it is not very
useful).

http://www.europebyrail.eu/cross-border-rail-service-to-greece-restored

Optima is a car carrying train from Villach to Erdine in Turkey.
Guessing it is a private service with its own booking system, rolling
stock etc.

<http://www.optimatours.de/de/>

Not sure if this Skopje to Thessaloniki service is a regular train
changing crew/locos at the border with normal CIV tickets. But as we've
learned it may have died an early death :-(

[EE507]

Post by Nick Fotis
And there is no passenger train from Thessaloniki to Idomeni, so you
have to run all 65+ km to Thessaloniki.

Is there a bus? Either run by OSE or by a private company?

A timetable would be very useful if you find one. Thanks.

[tim.....]

Post by Nick Fotis
And there is no passenger train from Thessaloniki to Idomeni, so you
have to run all 65+ km to Thessaloniki.

Is there a bus? Either run by OSE or by a private company?

A timetable would be very useful if you find one. Thanks.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not sure what it is that you want exactly

But times from Sofia can be found here

http://tis.centralnaavtogara.bg/index.php?page=13#

and for Skopje here

http://www.sas.com.mk./ (though you have to be able to read Macedonian as
translating results in a 404 error)

tim

[Arthur Figgis]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
Which means that to go between Thessaloniji and Istanbul, it would
still be possible to go by train between Thessaloniki and
Alexandropoulis, then bus (if that exists) between Alexandropoulis and
Edirne, and then train from Edirne to Istanbul again ?

Are trains actually running to Istanbul at the moment, or are they
replaced by buses for engineering works?

[Ulf Kutzner]

Post by Nick Fotis
The Athens-Thessaloniki route has trains every 1.5 hours (approximately).
Also, Thessaloniki-Edessa (western Macedonia region) has nearly a dozen
train pairs per day.
This doesn't include Thessaloniki-Larissa regional trains (approximately
every one hour, interleaved with the Athens-Thessaloniki trains)
Thessaloniki-Alexandroupolis has 2 train pairs per day.

Very bad news, intercity vs. freight train on one of the two tracks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempi_train_crash

[Phil Richards]

Post by Marc Van Dyck
We all know that international trains to and from Greece have
been (temporarily?) cancelled.
But what is the situation regarding domestic traffic ? On the lines
where international trains used to run, are there still domestic
trains available ? Or have they all been cancelled too ? Do we still
have trains from Thessaloniki to Alexandropoulis and Idomeni ?

Of interest?

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18032721>