The reopening of one of Peloponnese’s main railway lines to be funded by the EU

The long-awaited reopening of the Corinth-Argos-Nafplio railway line aims to be included in the NSRF 2014-2020. The Peloponnese Region sent an invitation which is the first step for the integration of the project in the European structural programs.

The project concerns the upgrade and modernization of the sections of the railway line Corinth – Argos – Nafplio, which will reconnect these cities with the national and trans-European network.

The project is to be included in the Peloponnese RDP 2014 – 2020, the co-financed public expenditure amounts to 12,000,000 euros, while the potential beneficiary is OSE (Hellenic Railways Organization) SA. which will be the contracting authority for implementation.

The deadline for submission of proposals – only electronically through the OPS NSRF, at the web address http://logon.ops.gr/ – expires on December 23, 2021.

Railway upgrade of the Peloponnese

The Corinth-Argos-Nafplio line is single and metric (ie the width of the lines is one meter). This means that it is narrower than that of the national railway network PATHEP. The renovation of the metric line was done in the 2000s. The maintenance and upgrade works of the line were completed in 2009. The then renovated line operated for a few months when it was closed.

Railway officials note that the required projects are not very costly, however the project will have to be included in the NSRF in order to be implemented. The stations that operated until the interruption of the line were: Examilia, Athikia, Chiliomodi, Agios Vassilios, Nemea, Mycenae, Koutsopodi, Argos, Nafplio.

Passengers will be able to reach their destination via Corinth Station by transfer. The reopening of the line will reconnect the historic cities with the national network, while it will also offer tourist services as the route passes through natural landscapes of special beauty.

According to information, in general, the speed that trains can develop on the metric lines is up to 120 kilometers per hour. On this line, the speed that existed when operating was in places up to 100 km / h. The journey to Nafplio is estimated to take about 2 hours.

The ultimate goal is to activate freight transport. The area of ​​the eastern and central Peloponnese has been cut off by rail for over 10 years and it is the first time that the possibility of reopening one of the most historic lines in the country appears on the horizon.

Which projects are included

The specific action includes upgrading interventions on the existing metric line Corinth – Argos, as well as the Argos – Nafplio sector, which aim at the following:

-Upgrading the quality characteristics of the line through the use of modern rubber supports and line concrete of superior quality.
-Upgrading the reliability of the line in terms of traffic speed and passenger comfort, through the execution of railway works on the line.
-Upgrading the level of traffic safety through the installation of a signal-level security system at the Sil-4 level, at the Corinth and Argos Stations, with which the routes are automatically controlled and remote controls are performed.

Automatic level crossings

The project also includes the installation of 42 new automatic level crossing systems (ASID) which will consist of materials of Sil-4 technology. The operation of all systems will be supervised by a control center in the SS. Corinth and data transfer will be via fiber optics. The aim is to upgrade railway safety and increase the speed of passing trains.

At the same time, security works will be carried out on the metal bridges, with the installation of sidewalks, upgrading of the docks and the surrounding area of ​​Kiliomodi, Mycenae and Argos Stations, change of the internal layout of the buildings of Mycenae and Argos Stations and reconstruction of the SS. Kiliomodi, to meet modern standards.