Proastiakos

Proastiakós (Greek: Προαστιακός, meaning "Suburban", from ancient Greek "pro + asty (προ-άστυ)" meaning "towards the city") is the name used for the suburban railway services of OSE in Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece. In Athens it connects Piraeus and Athens Central Railway Station with Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport and Kiato (via Corinth). There are plans to extend the Proastiakos to Loutraki and Patra westwards , Thiva and Chalkida northwards , and eastwards to Rafina and Lavrio. In Thessaloniki there is a service between Thessaloniki New Station and Litochoro.

History

The route of the line was first marked out in 1994. In 1997, bridges were constructed. During the construction of the route 6 of the Attiki Odos in the late 1990s, space was left between the main carriageways for the Proastiakos line. After two years of construction, the Proastiakos stretch to Eleftherios Venizelos opened in 2004.

On 27 September 2005, the Proastiakos reached Corinth (the station is near southern Corinthian suburb of Examilia). Apart from the new Proastiakos station in Corinth, four new stations became fully operational on the same day, namely: Nea Peramos, Megara, Kinetta and Agioi Theodoroi. From December 2005 almost all the passenger trains of OSE to Peloponnese (Patras, Kalamata etc.) depart from the new Peloponesian terminus (where passengers change to or from the suburban railway).

On 18 July 2006, 3 new stations were inaugurated : Ano Liosia, Aspropyrgos and Magoula. On 4 June 2007 the line was extended from Athens to the port of Piraeus with 3 intermediate stations at Lefka, Rentis and Rouf. This gives a direct rail link between the airport and the port of Athens, where most ferry services to the Greek Islands depart from. On 9 July 2007, the Proastiakos is now accessible from Kiato, Corinthia.

The new double track railway line between Athens and Patras is expected to be ready by 2010.

Unfortunately Proastiakos services are of limited use to potential passengers and, especially, commuters, as most stations are not directly accessible from population centers.

Current routes

Attention: Some of the services listed below are currently (April - June 2008) suspended due to work in progress between Athens/Central and SKA. Notably there is no longer a direct Piraeus-Airport service.

* Route map and diagram: [http://proastiakos.gr/popup.photo.php?what=photo&table=photos&id=39] [http://proastiakos.gr/popup.photo.php?what=photo&table=photos&id=38]

Piraeus – Athens International Airport

This service between Piraeus and Nerantziotissa is currently suspended. A shuttle service runs every 15 minutes over the electrified track between Nerantziotissa and Athens International Airport.

*Piraeus
*Lefka (Proastiakos)
*Rentis
*Rouf
*Athens (Larissis station)
*Iraklio
*Nerantziotissa (Connection with ISAP - Metro Line 1)
*Kifissias
*Pentelis
*Plakentias (Connection with Metro Line 3)
*Pallini
*Paiania–Kantza
*Koropi
*Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport

Piraeus – Kiato

*Piraeus
*Lefka (Proastiakos)
*Rentis
*Rouf
*Athens (Larissa station)
*Ano Liosia
*Aspropyrgos
*Magoula
*Nea Peramos
*Megara
*Kinetta
*Agioi Theodoroi
*Corinth
*Kiato [http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100020_10/07/2007_85492 Source]

Kiato – Athens International Airport

This service is currently suspended. A shuttle service runs every 30 minutes between Ano Liosia and Nerantziotissa.

*Kiato
*Corinth
*Agioi Theodoroi
*Kinetta
*Megara
*Nea Peramos
*Magoula
*Aspropyrgos
*Ano Liosia
*Iraklio
*Nerantziotissa
*Kifissias
*Pentelis
*Plakentias
*Pallini
*Paiania–Kantza
*Koropi
*Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport

Thessaloniki - Larissa

Since September 7, 2008, there are tweleve suburban trains in each direction daily connecting Larissa and Thessaloniki in 1 hour and 33 minutes. The trains call at the following stations:

* Thessaloniki
* Sindos
* Adendro
* Platy (Connection with West Macedonia services to Verroia, Edessa, Amyntaio, Florina and Kozani)
* Aeginio
* Korinos
* Katerini
* Litochoro
* Leptokarya
* Neoi Poroi
* Rapsani
* Evaggelismos (station under construction)
* Larissa

Connections

The suburban railway connects with the other urban railways of Athens in the following stations:
* Piraeus: The suburban station is located close to the ISAP (Metro line 1) terminus.
* Athens (Larissa station): connection with Metro line 2.
* Nerantziotissa: connection with ISAP (Metro line 1).
* Plakentias: connection with Metro line 3.
* Pallini: shared station with Metro line 3.
* Paiania–Kantza: shared station with Metro line 3.
* Koropi: shared station with Metro line 3.
* Airport: shared station with Metro line 3.

Planned lines and stations (Future projects)

ection: Piraeus – S.K.A.

*Piraeus, new station on the site of the old metric line terminal.
*Lefka (former metric line depot)
*Agios Ioannis Rentis (mainline depot)
*Tavros (planned)
*Rouf
*Athens (Athens Central Railway Station)
*Agioi Anargyroi (under construction)
*Pyrgos Vasilissis (planned)
*Lykotrypa (planned)
*SKA (under construction)

ection: SKA – Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" / Rafina / Lavrio (new lines)

*SKA (under construction - late 2007)
*Metamorfosi (under construction – 2007)
*Iraklio
*Nerantziotissa
*Kifissias (ex "Paradeisos")
*Pentelis (ex "Vrilissia")
*Plakentias
** Junction to Rafina (under consideration)
*Pallini
*Paiania–Kantza (ex "Kantza")
*Koropi
** [a] Junction to Lavrio (under planning)
*Athens International Airport

** [a] Lavrio junction :
***Markopoulo (2012)
***Kalyvia (2012)
***Kouvaras (2012)
***Keratea (2012)
***Daskalio (2012)
***Thoriko (2012)
***Lavrio town (2012)
***Lavrio Harbour (2012)

ection: SKA – Corinth / Kiato / Xylokastro / Loutraki (new line)

*SKA (under construction)
*Zefyri (under consideration)
*Ano Liosia
*Aspropyrgos
*Magoula
*Nea Peramos
*Megara
*Kinetta
*Agioi Theodoroi
** [b] Junction to Loutraki (see below)
*Corinth
*Kiato (Opened on 9 July 2007)
*Xylokastro (under construction – opening late 2009) [http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100018_03/02/2007_79682 Source]

** [b] Loutraki junction:
***Isthmos (under construction)
***Loutraki (under construction)

ection: SKA – Halkida / Thiva (planned improvement of the existing lines)

*SKA
*Acharnes
*Dekeleia
*Agios Stefanos
*Afidnes
*Sfendali
*Avlon
*Agios Thomas
*Oinofyta
*Oinoi
** [c] Junction to Thiva
*Kalohori–Panteihi
*Avlis
*Steno
*Halkida

** [c] Thiva junction:
***Tanagra
***Elaion
***Ypaton
***Thiva

External links

* [http://proastiakos.gr/en/ Proastiakos S.A.]
* [http://www.ose.gr/echome.asp?lang=2 Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE)]
* [http://www.oasa.gr/index.asp?lang=en Athens Urban Transport Organisation (OASA)]
* [http://www.ergose.gr/ergosesite/main.asp?CONTAINERID=1&LANGUAGE=2&REFCI=0 ERGOSE S.A.]
* [http://www.yme.gr/ Hellenic Ministry of Transportation and Communications]
* [http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100020_10/07/2007_85492 High-speed suburban railway reaches Kiato] (Kathimerini Newspaper)