Saturday has been a great day for TRAINOSE as the new Italian “Pendolino” train was officially introduced to the journalists for its maiden (and for demonstration purposes only) trip, departing from Thessaloniki to Katerini and back.
On-board journalists had the opportunity to observe and take pictures of the interior, which is admittedly modern, with comfortable seats, discreet lighting and generally has the image of an advanced train of Western Europe that travelled for the very first time on Greek railway tracks.
From Platy to Katerini, the new train developed a speed up to 213 km/h, breaking the record of the Greek railway standards, giving more promises for the future. It is noted that on-board, there are passenger information screens that show, in real time, the speed of the train.
The newly introduced train is an EMU (electric multiple unit), i.e. a compact trainset that, starting from the cockpit, is directly connected with the first and second class wagons, as opposed to the current intercity trains, whose engines are separate from the wagons.
The new train will be able to cover Athens – Thessaloniki route in 3 hours and 20 minutes, and is expected to enter service in the second half of 2019, when all construction projects on the upgraded railway axis will be completed (Lianokladi – Domokos section, ETCS etc.).
More information about the new train
The train started its trial operation between Thessaloniki and Katerini, while with the delivery of the last section of Athens – Thessaloniki corridor (Lianokladi – Domokos) test routes will restart between the two cities, with an initial target of 4 hours. Once all necessary ETCS and signalling systems are in place (in 2019), time distance for Athens – Thessaloniki route will drop to, the highly anticipated time of, 3 hours and 20 minutes.
In preparation for the launch of the new train service, TRAINOSE had sent 3 Greek train drivers to Italy, who came back with the best impressions both on the excellent training process, the conditions at the depots as well as the excellent quality of rolling stock.
Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com
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