The 2nd new generation train from Italy arriving in Greece by early April

TRAINOSE plans the arrival  of the second train from Italy, better known as “Arrow”, in our country at the beginning of April. According to reliable information, these days the preparation is completed so that at some point, witihin in March, in order for the train to start from Italy and make the well-known -now- route with a final station at the Thessaloniki depot.

The second train will go through the same procedures as the first and will be ready for operation, according to railway estimates, by May. However, it should be noted that in order to start the regular services on the Athens-Thessaloniki line, it is necessary to have a total of three “Arrows”.

The two to be launched every morning from Athens and Thessaloniki respectively, and a “reserve” for each case, as is the case for all other means. This, according to initial estimates, could happen at some point this summer, given that the course of the pandemic will be such that it will allow it. In total, the five Arrows will be in the country, as leaked, by the end of Autumn.

Postponement and rescheduling of the “anniversary” route

The launch of the first “Italian” train on the Athens-Thessaloniki line is scheduled for April. The “Arrow”, although it has come to the country since the beginning of the year and has already got a first taste of the Greek network, will have to wait for a while.

The reasons are not business as pointed out by executives of the railway market but due to the health condition of the country, it was deemed best to move the first “anniversary” route.

The initial planning was on the the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution, on March 25, 2021, to carry out with the “Arrow” a special route from Athens to Thessaloniki, which would “inaugurate”, in a way, the new era planned by TRAINOSE for its railway routes.

The few trains travel with full itineraries

As the same executives note today, despite the fact that only two pairs of itineraries take place every day in Athens-Thessaloniki, the trains travel with full itineraries. “The messages are encouraging for the post-covid era” it is pointed out and widely believed that with the lifting of travel restrictions, the normalcy of the itineraries will return.

Also the presence of new trains, comfort, safety and relatively short travel time (with the completion of signaling, the traveling duration in 2022 will drop to 3 hours and 30 minutes) will act as a “magnet” for passengers.

Let us not forget that the dynamics of the Athens-Thessaloniki route until the beginning of the pandemic, at the beginning of 2020 was great and had become the reason for launching ambitious investments that are now evolving.