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Soufli railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός Σουφλί Λαγυνά, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Soufli) is a railway station that serves the village of Soufli, Evros in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Located close to the village center, the station was (when) by the Chemins de fer Orientaux, (now part of OSE). Today Hellenic Train operates just 4 daily Regional trains[3] to Alexandroupoli and Ormenio. The station is unstaffed[4] however there are waiting rooms available. Didymoteicho is one of the northernmost operational railway stations in Greece.
Σουφλί Soufli | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Soufli Evros Greece | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°11′15″N 26°18′06″E / 41.1876200°N 26.3016600°E | ||||||||||
| Owned by | GAIAOSE[1] | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Alexandroupoli–Svilengrad railway[2] | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 3 (1 disused) | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 5 (1 disused, 2 freight) | ||||||||||
| Train operators | Hellenic Train | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | at-grade | ||||||||||
| Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||
| Parking | No | ||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | No | ||||||||||
| Accessible |   | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Status | Unstaffed | ||||||||||
| Website | http://www.ose.gr/en/ | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Electrified | No[2] | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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History
editThe station lies on the line, built by the Chemins de fer Orientaux (CO), from Istanbul to Vienna. The railway reached Lagyna during Ottoman rule, when in 1873, when the line from Istanbul to Edirne and Bulgaria was opened.[5] A 112 km branch from Pythio to Alexandroupoli (then known as Dedeağaç) was opened in 1874. When the railway was built it was all within the Ottoman Empire. After World War I and the subsequent Greek-Turkish War from 1919 to 1922, and finally peace in the form of the Lausanne treaty, the Chemins de fer Orientaux (CO) ended up having a network straddling Turkey and Greece, Didymoteicho became part of Greece and the line administrated by Greece.
In 1920 it became part Hellenic State Railways. On 31 December 1970 Hellenic State Railways ceased to exist; the next day all railways in Greece (with the exception of private industrial lines and E.I.S.) were transferred to Hellenic Railways Organisation S.A., a state-owned corporation. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back and routs closed as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. Services from Orestiada to Alexandroupoli were cut back to three trains a day, reducing the reliability of services and passenger numbers.
In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed, as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. Services from Feres to Alexandroupoli were cut back to three trains a day, reducing the reliability of services and passenger numbers. With passenger footfall in sharp decline. On 11 February 2011, all cross-border routes were closed and international services (to Istanbul, Sofia, etc.) were ended. Thus, only two routes now connect Feres with Thessaloniki and Athens (and those with a connection to Alex / Polis), while route time increased as the network was "upgraded".[6] Services to/from Ormenio were replaced by bus. In 2014 TrainOSE replaced services to/from Dikaia with buses[7]
On 13 February 2011, due to the Greek financial crisis and subsequent budget cuts by the Greek government, all international services were suspended. As a result, all cross border routes where closed and international services (to Istanbul, Sofia, etc.) ended.[8] Thus, only two routes now connect Soufli with Thessaloniki and Athens (and those with a connection to Alex / Polis), while route time increased as the network was "upgraded".[9]
In February 2015 flooding coursed severe delays across the whole line[10] as points failed and embankments where wash away in and around Soufli.[11] In 2017 OSE’s passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane[12] infrastructure, including stations remained under the control of OSE. In July 2022, the station began being served by Hellenic Train, the rebranded TrainOSE.[13]
Following the Tempi crash, Hellenic Train announced rail replacement bus's[14] on certain routes across the Greek rail network, starting Wednesday 15th March 2023.[15]
Facilities
editAs of (2009) the station is unstaffed.[16]
Services
editAs of 2020[update], Soufli is only serviced by one daily pair of Regional trains Alexandroupoli–Ormenio [16]
The station is served by two buses to Alexandroupoli Port (07:31 & 20:33) and a single bus to Dikaia (16:52).
Between July 2005 and February 2011[17] the Friendship Express (an international InterCity train jointly operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and TrainOSE linking Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal, Turkey and Thessaloniki, Greece) passed through Lagyna, but did not call at the station.
As of October 2024[update] all services are run as a rail-replacement bus service.
Station layout
edit| L Ground/Concourse |
Customer service | Tickets/Exits |
| Level Ε1 |
Side platform, doors will open on the right | |
| Platform 3 | In non-regular use | |
| Island platform, doors open on the right/left | ||
| Platform 1 |  towards Alexandroupoli (Lagyna) ←
| |
| Island platform, doors to the left | ||
| Platform 2 | towards Ormenio (Mandra) →
|
|
References
edit- ^ "Home". gaiaose.com.
- ^ a b "Annexes". Network Statement (PDF) (2023 ed.). Athens: Hellenic Railways Organization. 17 January 2023. p. 5-6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Δρομολόγια ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ".
- ^ "Πύθιο: Παρατημένος καταστρέφεται ο πρώτος Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός εισόδου στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση".
- ^ "Trains of Turkey website". Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2020-01-03.
- ^ "Google Translate". 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Κυκλοφοριακές ρυθμίσεις στο τμήμα Αλεξανδρούπολη – Δίκαια από την ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ".
- ^ "Important Greece Train Update". InterRail News. InterRailNet.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ^ "Google Translate". 2 November 2022.
- ^ "Πάνω από το όριο συναγερμού ο κεντρικός Έβρος (Video)".
- ^ "Εκκένωση οικισμών στον Έβρο". 2 November 2022.
- ^ "It's a new day for TRAINOSE as FS acquires the entirety of the company's shares". ypodomes.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "TrainOSE renamed Hellenic Train, eyes expansion". Kathimerini. Athens. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ GTP editing team. "Hellenic Train Services Replaced by Bus Routes". GTP. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
- ^ athens24, athens24 (14 March 2023). "Hellenic Train announces bus routes instead of trains | Athens24.com". www.athens24.com. athens24.com. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Myrtsidis, Diamantis (2021). Η Ιστορία του Σιδηροδρόμου στον Έβρο (The History of Evros Railway) (in Greek) (2nd ed.). Nea Vyssa: Myrtsidis. pp. 150–152. ISBN 978-618-00-3174-4.
- ^ "Δρομολόγια τρένων - ΟΣΕ".