Larissa–Volos railway
The railway from Larissa to Volos is a standard-gauge railway that connects Larissa with the coastal port city of Volos in Thessaly, Greece.[1] It is Thessaly's most important regional line after the Palaiofarsalos–Kalambaka railway. As a branch line of the Piraeus–Platy railway, its western terminus at Larissa provides connections to Athens and Thessaloniki.
| Larissa–Volos railway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Volos station 1995 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operational | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | OSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Greece (Thessaly) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini | Larissa 39.3746°N 22.2522°E Volos 39.6295°N 22.4228°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stations | 7 (1 out of use) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | railway line | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | Regional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | TrainOSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1884 (metre gauge) 1960 (standard gauge) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line length | 60.76 km (37.75 mi)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | Single track[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | No[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operating speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) (highest) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Course
The line branches off at Larissa and continues to the southeast through Kypseli, Armenio and Stefanovikeio before heading south to Velestino, where it meets the former metre-gauge line to Kalambaka. It then advances eastwards from Melissiatika to its eastern terminus at Volos.
Stations
The stations on the Larissa–Volos railway serve are:
History
Construction of the metre-gauge railway began in 1882 and the line was inaugurated on 22 April 1884, as part of the Thessaly Railways.[2] The project was designed and led by Italian-born Evaristo de Chirico, father of the famous painter Giorgio de Chirico, and Greek banker Theodoros Mavrogordatos. The original route was somewhat different from the current one, passing through the Volos quarry and proceeding to the centre of the city, where it met the narrow-gauge Pelion railway. In 1960, the decision was made to convert the line to standard gauge,[2] thus speeding up travel times by allowing through traffic to bypass Larissa via the Piraeus–Platy railway.
Services
The Larissa–Volos railway is used by the following passenger services:
Future
The line is currently being upgraded with the installation of railway signalling, electrification and ETCS systems.[4][5] At an estimated cost of €71.24 million,[5] it is one of a number of "new-generation projects" aimed at improving rail connectivity across Greece.[6]
References
- "Network Statement Validity: 2020 ANNEXES". Athens: OSE. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "The history of Thessaly Railways". Thessaly Museum Railways. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "TRAINOSE ticketing". TrainOSE. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "Railway Infrastructure". Athens: OSE. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "Signalling – Electrification of Larissa – Volos". ERGOSE. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- "ERGOSE's new-generation railway projects in Greece". Railway PRO. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2020.