Fully electified Athens – Thessaloniki train services to be launched in coming weeks

Remaining electrification works are under completion on Tithorea-Domokos railway section. “Construction works have been completed, we are now waiting for the test route to be conducted on April 17th and we will deliver the project to OSE”, sources from ERGOSE tell ypodomes.com.

Likewise, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Thanos Vourdas, commented: “The construction works have ended, I have requested from the 20th of the month to see TRAINOSE’s itineraries, we expect the company to bring trains to service Athens-Thessaloniki corridor”.

The completion of the electrification works will mark the beginning of a new era for the route that links the two major Greek cities. According to statements made by TRAINOSE CEO, Mr. Filippos Tsalidis, the new faster service is expected to start in early May, lasting 4 hours, while predicting that the already improved duration of the journey will be maintained until the second half of 2020.

However, sources from the railways, express their disagreements and note that relevant works will have been completed by the end of the year on the entirety of the line, including signaling and ETCS systems. At the same time, additional works will continue on Tithorea-Domokos secton, without affecting the operation of the line.

The first official route is expected in the coming weeks -in early May most likely- marking the end of a project that lasted 30 years, signifying the dawn of a new era in Greece’s railways, after many decades.

Neverthless, the train that will be eventually used for this route is still under debate. According to a welll-informed source, it hasn’t been decided yet whether Pendolino trains will finally come from Italy or the solution of GAIAOSE’s Greek electric trainsets will be preferred.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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