Train & Rail Travel in Mainland Greece (see Greece train map)
For detailed Train Information see the OSE website: www.ose.gr/echome.asp?lang=2
Travel in Greece is often associated with the sea, and for travel to the many Greek islands, this is accurate, with the
exception of travel between Athens and the large island of Evia (Euboea). Poros and Lefkada can also be reached by land vehicle.
Even when one gets to the islands, the form of transportation is then via foot, donkey, mule, car, bus, or taxi. For travel on the Greek mainland, however, travel by railways is a definite and attractive option. Except for the westernmost parts of northern Greece, including western Macedonia and Ipiros, there are good rail connections to almost anywhere else one might want to go, and bus connections with trains where the latter end. The types of trains vary, from old ones that rattle but have lots of character, to modern ones that suit those with modern tastes. Then there is the famous 'rack and pinion' or 'cog' railway that traverses one of the most dramatic stretches of scenery in all Greece (See the article on Kalavryta and Mt Pelion). Just about all mainland ports, major and minor, are served by frequent rail services.
NOTE: The Athens electric train (Elektriko) and the Athens metro system, will not be dealt with here. These Piraeus-Athens-outer suburbs railways are well marked and easy to negotiate, with all signs in both Greek and English, as well as helpful station employees and passengers to guide you should you still get lost. This urban rail system is one of the most efficient, cleanest, and attractively -designed systems in Europe, and is a pleasure to use.
Train Routes / Sights along the way
Athens-Aghios Stefanos-Halkidha
Athens-Aghios Stefanos-Halkidha (in Evia/Euboea) One of the truly amazing things aobut Athens is that you can get out of this vast, sprawling city of almost 5 million inhabitants in about 35 minutes, and be in open country, if you take the standard gauge train from Larissa Station that heads to the northwest (veering northeast at first to the village of Aghios Stefanos, which has plenty of trees.
The Larissa Station, in fact already gives you the feeling that you have left the city, once you pass through the doors from the busy street, get your ticket, and go out back to the train platform. The train itself also gives the feeling of having left the modern world, as it is one of the older types that, though it rattles a lot, and moves around a lot if you pass from one car to another, is full of that increasingly rare commodity known as 'character'. You'll pass a town called Acharnes where there is an old Breda steam locomotive, which was one of the biggest kinds of steam locomotives ever operated in Europe.
From Aghios Stefanos, excursions to Marathon are possible, though not by train (see Battle of Marathon). Lake Marathon has a marble-faced dam (built between 1925-31), which provides a lot of Athen's water, which comes from the mountain of Pendeli. There are buses from here to the Cave of Pan, to the battle site, to the beach of Skinias; to the northeast of Marathon is the seaside village of Aghia Marina , near the ancient port of Ramnous, with a Doric temple built in 435BC, which is open daily. In the village of Stamata is the Semeli Winery, which you can visit by appointment. This winery produces an excellent white wine based on the Savatiano grape, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, white wine of the Chardonnay type and other red wines.
Beyond Aghios Stefanos the land gets more and more rural, and rugged as well. All of the small towns along the way have wonderful old stone stations, which add to the delight of the journey. At Afidnes there is a wonderful large taverna near the station, with high ceilings, a lot of wood in its construction, and very good food. Since the train makes many runs per day, this is a good place to get out of the city, have a meal and walk around. The village backs up to the forested Parnitha mountain, green all year round. Hikers who want to explore Parnitha might want to get off at Sfendali and find the trail, which is about 300 meters from the train station. The hike is pleasant and gradual, the ascent taking about four hours, and with quite a variety of flora and fauna. At Oinoi, passengers heading towards Thebes or further north should get off and change trains. In any case, there's a short stop here. Proceeding towards Chalkidha (ancient Halkis, often spelled Chalkis) in Evia (Euboea), the train now passed through wheat fields to the coast, with nice views along the way. There are three more stops and then the train passes under the new suspension bridge (built in 1993) and around the Evripos Bay and finally pulls into the old station below the1688 Turkish fort called Karababa. From here one can walk over the old channel bridge that crosses over the 40meter side strait which is the narrowest crossing between Evia and the mainland anywhere along its considerable length (see Evia), and where the currents change every few hours for no reason that anyone understands.
Piraeus/Athens-Elefsina & The Peloponnese Station south
This trains connects western Attica with the Peloponnese. This first section is 36km, and is most double-track. There are many running every day and are much faster and more pleasant than driving on the crowded national road. In addition, there are good views. The domed station for the Peloponnese in Athens is on Railroad St. (appropriately). One gets to it via the SPAP station in Piraeus.
The train to Elefsina stops in Aghios Anargiri station
and in Ano Liosia, which is on the southern slope of Parnitha. Elefsina was the birthplace of Aeschylus and home of the
Sanctuary of Demteter and the Elefsinian Mysteries. The ancient road, The Sacred Way led to the sanctuary, which was,
after Delphi, the most important sanctuary in ancient Greece. Its rituals (called 'Mysteries') were performed for nearly
1500 years, and their content well concealed. During the 5th century BC, up to 30,000 devotees participated in the sacred
rites.
The site and museum are open Tues-Sun 9:30am -3pm.
The first railway line, which was of the meter gauge type, was built by a private company in 1881, and connected the western market town of Pyrgos to its port at Katakolon (12km). In 1884 the Piraeus-Athens-Peloponnese Railway Company (SPAP) was founded, and one line reached Cornith by 1885; Patras was connected in late 1887; in 1890 the Patras-Pyrgos segment was added; line was extended south to Kalonero and Kyparissia later in that decade. Another branch line was added in spring of 1891, from Pyrgos to Olympia, and a private company built an atypical 75cm line from SPAP main line at Diakofto near Aigion 22km up through the dramatic Voraikos River gorge to the town of Kalavryta (see Kalavryta). Yet another company connected Mili (an important port at the time in the eastern Peloponnese south of Argos to Kalamata, a distance of 172km. The Mili-corinth link was completed in the early 20th century. The overall picture is that of a single circular track, the meter gauge Peloponnese railway which encompasses a circuit of the entire region.
Piraeus-Corinth
There are many trains daily for Corinth from Elefsina, and even more if one is heading to Isthmia because extra trains branch off there for Loutraki. The Plain of Megara is a cultivated region planted with olives and grapes. The city of Megara (pop. 25,000) is a big country town rising on the slopes of two hills, each just under 300 meters high. From here, the rail winds up into the Yerania Mountains, passing through tunnels, and with spectacular views of the Peloponnese.
This area was the natural boundary that protected Corinth from Athens. The train descends into a plain, with a stop at Aghios Theodoros, on a long sandy beach, the station a few hundred meters from it. The area is known for its candied fruits. The rail line continues across the Plain of Sousaki, an area that rather oddly combines oil refineries and tank farms with great views across to the mountains of the Peloponnese.
Then it climbs to the station of Isthmus, where the line splits, with one branch going off to the beach resort of Loutraki and the other heading over the Corinth Canal to the Peloponnese. The Isthmus of Corinth is a barren limestone strip 16km/9.92miles by 6.5km/4miles wide. The ancient Corinthians developed a paved and grooved track, the Diolkos, on which ships were dragged across by a winch between the Bay of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf., a system used until the 12th century. Parts of this mechanism are still visible at Poseidonia (on the Bay of Corinth side). Work on a canal was begun in AD67, by Nero, but was halted due to an insurrection in Gaul, and the task waited until 1881-1893, when a French company resumed. The canal, cut 87meters through the rock below the surface of the isthmus, is 6.5km long, 25meters wide, and 8meters deep, with breakwaters on either end. Through it pass large ships, ferries, and cruise ships; the canal made Piraeus into a major port. It also had an effect of the railways, when the coastal shipping lines changed to steam during the 1930s, and one could travel much faster to the Ionian islands through the canal by steamer than by taking a train from Piraeus to Patras.
The competition forced the railways, however, to switch to diesel equipment, which shortened the travel time considerably-to about four hours, which is about how long it takes today. There are many cafes, restaurants and shops in the canal area, for those who find the canal of interest, as well as ancient Isthmia, with its Sanctuary of Poseidon, and the site of the Panhellenic Isthmian games (near the village of Kryavryssi). There's a museum there as well.
Loutraki , 6km from the Isthmus, is a beach resort, and a producer of bottled mineral water. It also has thermal spas, hydrotherapy , and a casino. The Lake Vouliagmeni lagoon near Cape Melangavi can be visited from here; ancient Perahora is below the modern town on a small sandy cove.
Corinth, the train crosses the Canal at slow speed, for best viewing. Most trains continuing on from here stop to exchange crews and/or divide the train, so there's time to get out and stock up on whatever.