Line A1 (Athens Suburban and Regional Railway)

Line A1 is an Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) line in Athens, Greece, managed by Hellenic Train. The service connects Piraeus with the Airport. The line shares a part of its course with lines A2 and A4 as well as Metro line 3, but also with line A3 at Athens. The first Suburban line was inaugurated on 30 July 2004, using 17 OSE Class 560 DMUs between Larissa Station (Now Athens) and the Airport. With the completion of the electrification of the sections of the line to Athens in 2017 and Piraeus in 2018.[2][3] The line now exclusively uses OSE class 460 EMUs rolling stock.

To Piraeus/Airport
Προς Πειραιά/Αεροδρόμιο
An OSE class 460 train in the median strip of Attiki Odos, bound for Athens Airport.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
StatusOperating
LocaleGreece (Attica)
First service30 July 2004; 20 years ago (2004-07-30)
Current operator(s)Hellenic Train
Former operator(s)TrainOSE
Websitewww.hellenictrain.gr
Route
TerminiPiraeus 37°56′57″N 23°38′34″E / 37.9491°N 23.6428°E / 37.9491; 23.6428
Athens Airport 37°56′13″N 23°56′41″E / 37.936890°N 23.944700°E / 37.936890; 23.944700
Stops19
Distance travelled48.2 km (30.0 mi)[full citation needed]
Average journey time1 hour and 3 minutes
Service frequency18 per-day
Line(s) usedPiraeus–Platy Athens Airport–Patras
On-board services
Class(es)Standard class only
Seating arrangements
  • Airline style
  • table bay
Sleeping arrangementsNo
Catering facilitiesNo
Observation facilities
  • Large windows in all carriages
  • open-air carriage in middle of train
Baggage facilities
  • Overhead racks
  • baggage carriage
Technical
Rolling stock
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Operating speed160 km/h (99 mph) (average)
200 km/h (124 mph) (highest)
Track owner(s)OSE (Lines), Gaiose (Buildings)[1]

History

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The initial planning phase of the line provided for the use of express trains (Airport Express) from Piraeus to the Airport with intermediate stations only in Athens, Agioi Anargyroi, Neratziotissa, Kifissias and Dukisis Placentias, and with a journey time of half an hour. In the end, however, the need to connect the capital's international airport with the city's most central station, Syntagma, imposed the joint travel of Suburban and Metro from Doukissis Plakentias to the Airport.[citation needed]

Line A1 was put into operation on 30 July 2004, connecting Athens with the Airport without electrification.[4] On 6 August 2004, one week after the inauguration of the line, the Neratziotissa was inaugurated. In 2006, the section from Neratziotissa to the Airport was electrified, which led to the addition of new routes along this section, operated by brand new Desiro 460 electrified trains. On 4 June 2007, the routes were extended from Athens to Piraeus. In July 2007, all Athens Suburban Railway services were transferred from OSE to TrainOSE.[5]

With the extension to Ano Liosia was electrification in 2009, the line underwent a track change, connecting the Airport with Ano Liosia exclusively by electric EMUs. On 8 August 2010, Metamorfosi station opened, while in December of the same year, the line's routes were extended to Kato Acharnes on the occasion of the completion of electrification in this section.[6][7] On 5 April 2011, the Acharnon Railway Center was opened.[8]

In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, (Now Hellenic Train) currently, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane[9] infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. The line underwent another change of course on 30 July 2017, 13 years after its inauguration, due to the restructuring of the Suburban network on the occasion of the extension of electrification from Agioi Anargyrou to Athens central station. Then the itineraries between Athens and the Airport were restored with a new direct connection, exclusively with EMU trains.[10] The route was extended to Piraeus again on 1 February 2018, after electrification of the remaining section.

Stations

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Route
services
Name Connections Location
Connections
Suburban
Other connections Municipality Regional
unit
Region
Line 1 stations
Piraeus        Piraeus Piraeus Attica
Lefka  
Rentis   Nikaia-Α.Ι.R.
Tavros   Moschato-Tavros South Athens
Rouf   Athens Central Athens
Athens    
Agioi Anargyroi     Agioi Anargyroi-Kamatero West Athens
Pyrgos Vasilissis  
Kato Acharnes   Acharnes East Attica
Metamorfosi   Metamorfosi North Athens
Irakleio   Irakleio, Attica
Neratziotissa      Maroussi
Kifisias  
Pentelis   Vrilissia
Doukissis Plakentias      Chalandri
Pallini      Pallini East Attica
Paiania–Kantza      Paiania
Koropi      Kropia
Athens Airport      Spata-
Artemida

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Home". gaiaose.com.
  2. ^ "Ηλεκτροκίνηση 3 Γέφυρες – Πειραιάς". ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  3. ^ "ΣΚΑ – 3 Γέφυρες". ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Και ο προαστιακός σιδηρόδρομος μπήκε σε τροχιά". Η Καθημερινή. Αθήνα. 31 July 2004. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Company". hellenictrain.gr/en. hellenictrain.gr. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  6. ^ "ΣΚΑ – Κιάτο". ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Σε 55 λεπτά το δρομολόγιο Αθήνα - Κιάτο με τον προαστιακό σιδηρόδρομο". Τα Νέα. Αθήνα. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  8. ^ "Σε λειτουργία από σήµερα ο σταθµός του ΣΚΑ". Τα Νέα. Αθήνα. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  9. ^ "It's a new day for TRAINOSE as FS acquires the entirety of the company's shares". ypodomes.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. ^ "Σημαντικές αλλαγές στον Προαστιακό Σιδηρόδρομο Αθήνας από 30/07/2017". ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2020.