# Athens Suburban Railway

The Athens Suburban Railway (Greek: Προαστιακός Αθηνών, romanized: Proastiakós Athínon), officially the Athens Suburban and Regional Railway, is a commuter rail service that connects the city of Athens and its metropolitan area with other places in Attica, Boeotia, Corinthia and the city of Chalcis in Euboea.
The first section of the Suburban Railway, linking the main Athens railway station with the Athens International Airport, opened on 30 July 2004 – two weeks before the start of the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Greek capital. From 2005 to 2018, the network was gradually electrified and expanded to serve Piraeus to the south, Corinth and Kiato to the west, and Chalcis to the north. The Athens Suburban Railway is currently operated by Hellenic Train (formerly TrainOSE).

## History

"Proastiakos SA" was founded in 2003 as a subsidiary of OSE to serve the operation of the suburban network in the urban complex of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games. The first line, linking central Athens with Athens International Airport, was inaugurated on 30 July 2004, two weeks before the 2004 Olympic Games. This first section was not electrified and operated DMU'S every half hour. In January 2005 the test routes to Corinth started and the line was delivered to the public on 27 September that same year. Also in 2005 Proastiakos was absorbed by the company TRAINOSE SA., which was now responsible for providing all rail passenger and commercial transport. In 2007, with the completion of the works of the Airport-Patras line to Kiato, Proastiakos expanded services on what is now Line 5 while in 2009 services where expanded to Chalkida forming Line 3. TrainOSE has been operating since 2008 as a company independent of OSE, still using the Proastiakos emblem. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. Services from Athens Airport & Athens were cut back, with some ticket offices closing, reducing the reliability of services and passenger numbers.
However, from 2010, the electrification works of the lines with 25 kV AC, 50 Hz began to be completed, allowing the use of the Siemens Desiro 460 trains. The electrification projects were completed in the SKA department. - Kiato in 2010, on the Oinoi–Chalcis line in 2013, in the sections SKA-Oinoi and Treis Gefyres – SKA in 2015, and finally in the section Three Bridges – Piraeus in 2018. In fact, the advent of electrification in SS. Athens on 30 July 2017 led to the modification of the lines of the Suburban Railway to have as a starting point the central station of the capital. In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. On 1 February 2018, the electrification of the Piraeus-Athens Central station section of the network was completed.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, TrainOSE provide free antiseptic gel to the passenger public in order to disinfect those who use the commuter train.

### Timeline

| Date | Routes |
| 30 Jul 2004 | Athens–Athens Airport |
| 27 Sep 2005 | Athens–Athens Airport  Nerantziotissa–Athens Airport  Athens–Corinth (via Neratziotissa)  Corinth–Athens Airport |
| 04 Jun 2007 | Piraeus–Athens Airport  Nerantziotissa–Athens Airport (EMU)  Piraeus–Corinth (via Neratziotissa)  Athens Airport–Corinth |
| 09 Jul 2007 | Piraeus–Athens Airport  Nerantziotissa–Athens Airport (EMU)  Piraeus–Kiato (via Neratziotissa)  Athens Airport–Kiato |
| 06 Jul 2008 | Piraeus–Kiato  Ano Liosia–Neratziotissa  Neratziotissa–Athens Airport (EMU) |
| 14 Feb 2009 | Piraeus–Kiato  Ano Liosia–Athens Airport (EMU) |
| 12 Dec 2010 | Piraeus–Ano Liosia (suspended 18 January 2012–9 February 2014)  Athens Airport–Kiato (EMU, suspended 18 January 2012–8 July 2012) |
| 10 Feb 2014 | Athens–Ano Liosia  Athens Airport–Kiato (EMU)  Piraeus–Chalcis |
| 30 Jul 2017 | Athens–Athens Airport  SKA–Athens Airport  Athens–Chalcis  Athens–Kiato  Athens–Piraeus (DMU) |
| 01 Feb 2018 | Piraeus–Athens Airport  SKA–Athens Airport  Athens–Chalcis  Piraeus–Kiato |
| 24 Feb 2018 | Piraeus–Athens Airport  Ano Liosia–Athens Airport  Athens–Chalcis  Piraeus–Kiato |
| 01 Aug 2023 | A1 (Piraeus–Athens Airport)  A2 (Ano Liosia–Athens Airport)  A3 (Athens–Chalcis)  A4 (Piraeus–Kiato) |

## Lines and services

Since 1 August 2023, the Athens Suburban Railway consists of four lines. Line A1 runs between Piraeus and Athens Airport, while Line A2 reinforces the preceding service along the median of the A6 motorway between the Airport and Ano Liosia. Line A3 runs between Athens and Chalcis, and Line A4 runs between Piraeus and Kiato. The train service between Kiato and Aigio is a local Peloponnese service. The Athens Suburban Railway operates from 4:30 am to midnight daily, and there are 45 stations in the network.
On 18 January 2012, services were "temporarily" suspended on routes from Piraeus - Ano Liossia. According to a TrainOSE spokesperson, the interruption is due to technical problems; however no information on the progress of any work was given, services were rerouted via SKA.

### Main services

The following table lists the routes and the stations for the Athens Suburban Railway since 15 May 2022. Line numbers were introduced on 1 August 2023.
Outline of Athens Suburban Railway routes :
| Map colour | Prefix | Route | Stations | Length | Ref. |
| Yellow | 12xx | Piraeus–Athens–Athens Airport | 19 | 48.23 km | $^{:2,23}$ |
| Purple | 22xx | Ano Liosia–Paiania–Kantza–Athens Airport | 12 | 33.18 km | $^{:8}$ |
| Purple | 42xx | Ano Liosia–Paiania–Kantza | 10 | 18.60 km | $^{:8,23}$ |
| Lime green | 15xx, 25xx, 35xx | Athens–Chalcis | 17 | 82.80 km | $^{:2}$ |
| Sky blue | 13xx, 23xx | Piraeus–Athens–Kiato | 20 | 120.70 km | $^{:2,8}$ |

## List of stations

| † | Terminal station |
| * | Metro/OSE station |
| *† | Connection/interchange with Metro or Hellenic Train services |
The suburban railway connects with other rail services at the following stations:
| # | Station | Lines | Connections | Regional unit |
| 1 | Acharnes | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 2 | SKA * | Ano Liosia–Airport Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 3 | Afidnes | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 4 | Agioi Anargyroi | Athens–Thessaloniki | | West Athens |
| 5 | Agios Georgios | Athens–Chalcis | | Boeotia |
| 6 | Agios Stefanos | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 7 | Agioi Theodoroi | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport | | Corinthia |
| 8 | Agios Thomas | Athens–Chalcis | | Boeotia |
| 9 | Ano Liosia | Piraeus–Kiato Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport | | West Attica |
| 10 | Aspropyrgos | Piraeus–Kiato | | West Attica |
| 11 | Athens *† | Athens–Thessaloniki | | Central Athens |
| 12 | Athens Airport * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport | | East Attica |
| 13 | Avlida | Athens–Chalcis | | Euboea |
| 14 | Avlona | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 15 | Chalcis | Athens–Chalcis | | Euboea |
| 16 | Corinth | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens | | Corinthia |
| 17 | Dekeleia | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 18 | Dilesi | Athens–Chalcis | | Boeotia |
| 19 | Doukissis Plakentias * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport | | North Athens |
| 20 | Irakleio | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | North Athens |
| 21 | Kalochori-Panteichi | Athens–Chalcis | | Boeotia |
| 22 | Kato Acharnes | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | West Athens |
| 23 | Kiato * | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens Aigio–Kiato | Bus | Corinthia |
| 24 | Kifisias | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport | | North Athens |
| 25 | Kinetta | Piraeus–Kiato | | West Attica |
| 26 | Koropi * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | East Attica |
| 27 | Lefka | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | Piraeus |
| 28 | Magoula | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens | | West Attica |
| 29 | Megara | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens | | West Attica |
| 30 | Metamorfosi | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | North Athens |
| 31 | Nea Peramos | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Airport Aigio–Athens | | West Attica |
| 32 | Nerantziotissa * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport Aigio–Airport | | North Athens |
| 33 | Oinofyta | Athens–Chalcis | | Boeotia |
| 34 | Oinoi * | Ano Liosia–Airport | | Boeotia |
| 35 | Paiania–Kantza * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | East Attica |
| 36 | Pallini * | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | East Attica |
| 37 | Pentelis | Piraeus–Airport Ano Liosia–Airport | | North Athens |
| 38 | Piraeus * | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | Piraeus |
| 39 | Pyrgos Vasilissis | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | West Athens |
| 40 | Rentis | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | Piraeus |
| 41 | Rouf | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | Central Athens |
| 42 | Sfendali | Athens–Chalcis | | East Attica |
| 43 | Tavros | Piraeus–Airport Piraeus–Kiato | | South Athens |
| 44 | Zefyri | Piraeus–Kiato | | West Athens |
| 45 | Zevgolatio | Piraeus–Kiato Aigio–Athens | | Corinthia |

## Tickets and Scheduling

The suburban train, in the sections Magoula-Koropi and Piraeus-Dhekelia are part of the urban zone of OASA, therefore the single ticket that is used and combined with all means of transport in Athens is valid. Outside the urban area, a different ticket is valid, which is priced in stages and issued by Hellenic Train.

## Photography on the network

The photography in the publicly accessible areas of both OSE and the Athens Suburban Railway (defined as passenger space on trains and at stations) is permitted, as the right of photographers to photograph within the Suburban Railway is covered by the Constitution. The issue was mediated by the Ombudsman between 2004 and 2008 on the occasion of the attempt to temporarily ban photography during the Olympic Games. The court ruled that "the requirement of a 'photography permit' is tantamount to a ban" and that "there is no legal authority to impose restrictions on the right to photograph spaces and slides by definition accessible to the public".

## Future expansion
### New stations

* Additional station in Kryoneri by 2021.
* Additional station in Gerakas.

### New services

* Larissa Station-Agios Dionysios via Piraeus connection with Cretan ships, (with the final destination being Thessaloniki)
* Reopening the suburban double line from SKA to Ano Liosia, MAK, Neoktista, Aspropyrgos Refineries, Old Aspropyrgos Station, and Elefsina, with the service of Hellenic Petroleum. The Elefsina line is planned to continue to Loutropyrgos and the old Megaron railway with a single regular line.
* Reopening from Agios Apostolos to Isthmus.

### Lavrio branch line

A nine-station, 32 km extension of the Athens Suburban Railway from Koropi to Lavrio was announced in 2016, potentially connecting 300,000 more people to the rail network at a cost of €160 million. The project involves the construction of two new stations at Markopoulo and Lavrio Port, and five intermediate stops at Kalyvia, Keratea, Daskaleio, Thorikos and Kyprianos. The Athens-Lavrio distance will be 55 minutes and Koropi-Lavrio 28 minutes with the completion of the extension.

### Loutraki line reopening

In February 2019, OSE accepted a bid for the €12 million project to convert the former metre-gauge line between Isthmos and Loutraki to standard gauge, connect it to the Athens Airport–Patras railway and reopen it to passenger traffic by November 2021. Mytilineos–Xanthakis was selected as the contractor of the project. Due to an appeal by a rival bidder, the signing of the contract was delayed until 12 June 2019. The project consists of the electrification of the Isthmos–Loutraki line and building two new stops, one at Casino and the other in Loutraki.

### Rafina branch

A €40 million branch line from Doukissis Plakentias station to the town of Rafina has also been proposed. with an extension to the Airport via Artemida and Rafina.