Diakofto Kalavrita Railway

The Diakofto Kalavrita Railway is a historic RailGauge|750 gauge rack railway in Greece on the Peloponnesos at the Gulf of Corinthos 50 km from Patras and 150 km from Athens vis a vis Delphi. It runs 22 km from Diakofto through the Vouraikos Gorge and the old "Mega Spileon" Monastery and up to Kalavrita, stopping on route at Zachlorou.cite web | url = http://www.igougo.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?EntryID=4155 | title = Diakofto Kalavrita Railway | publisher = IgoUgo | accessdate = April 24 | accessyear = 2006 ] The line belongs to the Greek national railway network of Organismós Sidirodrómon Elládos, the infrastructure managed by the OSE subsidiary EDISY S.A. and the fleet operated by TRAINOSE.PDFlink| [http://www.ose.gr/ose/files/EDISY_2007_NETWORK_STATEMENT.pdf Network Statement 2007] |1.29 MB. EDISY S.A., Athens, 2006.]

Work in progress

Renovation work is currently taking place on the northern part of the line (major maintenance of bridges, enlargement of tunnels and replacement of the rack) and it has recently been wholly or parly closed.cite web | url = http://www.ose.gr/ose/content/Document.aspx?d=40&rd=16506950&f=-1&rf=-1&m=5557&rm=20544871&l=2 | title = Diakopto - Kalabryta project | publisher = Organismós Sidirodrómon Elládos (in Greek) | accessdate = March 29 | accessyear = 2008 ] Currently (May 2008) there is only a limited weekend service between Kalavryta and Zachlorou. Full services are expected to start in September 2008.

Rolling stock

The rolling stock fleet of Diakofto - Kalavrita railway consists of three diesel-electric trainsets ("Class 3001") built by Billard in 1958 and three more ("Class 3004") built by Decauville in 1967. These trainsets, both types of similar construction, consist of two passenger cars (a motor car and a trailer) and a generator trailer between them. In addition, a steam locomotive ("ΔΚ 8001", delivered by Cail in 1891) is preserved and has been used occasionally for special trains.

Four new three-unit diesel-electric trainsets have been ordered from Stadler Rail to replace the old rolling stock. These have been designated as "Class 3107". cite web | url = http://www.stadlerrail.ch/index.php?page=387 | title = References: Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), Greece | publisher = Stadler Rail | accessdate = September 5 | accessyear = 2008 Note: at least at the date of retriewe, the photo on the Stadler site was not of a Class 3107 unit of the Diakofto - Kalavrita railway but of an GTW 2/6, used elsewhere on the OSE network.]

References

External links

* OSE webpage about Diakofto - Kalavrita railway (in Greek)
* Main website of OSE (in English)
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* [http://www.ekalavrita.gr Kalvrita guide]