OSE

The Organization's vision is to develop a modern system for the provision of railway transport services, promoting the national railway network to a substantial and integral part of trans-European networks, meeting the need of citizens and undertakings for fast, safe, comfortable and cost-effective transport of people and merchandise and creating the requirements for further development of the network to serve the most remote areas of the country. Moreover, it seeks the economic, social and environmental upgrading of the country through high-level services.


	Pic: Nick Fotis

Projects in progress

All projects included in the Modernisation Program of the Greek railway network are incorporated into the Trans-European Networks of high-speed or combined transport or even conventional trains, as the case may be. As a result, the financial contribution of the European Funds in the implementation of the Program will be significant. More specifically, the investment program for the period of 1989-1993 (243 millionEuro or 83 billion GRD) was co-financed by the European Union through the First Community Support Framework, while for the period 1994-1999 (1,349 million EUR or 435 billion GRD) from the 2nd Community Support Framework and the 1st Cohesion Fund.

In Greece, the network modernisation projects in progress will be completed over the period 2006-2008. On the PATHE axis (Patra - Athens - Thessaloniki - Idomeni), the double, electrified and remotely controlled track to be constructed will enable minimum traffic speeds of 200km/h. The travel times will be reduced, i.e. Athens -Thessaloniki route to 3 hours and 30 minutes instead of 5 hours and 30 minutes currently, and Athens - Patra route to less than 2 hours instead of 3 hours and 30 minutes currently. Furthermore, the modernization of the remaining regional network will also proceed significantly.

The railway projects mainly extend on the Patra - Athens - Thessaloniki - Idomeni axis towards FYROM and Promahona towards Bulgaria. This axis is approx. 1,000km long. Furthermore, other regional networks are being reconstructed using national resources, i.e. networks of West Macedonia, East Macedonia and Thrace and the so-called V, as Peloponnese , Patra - Kalamata - Corinth route resembles this letter of the Latin alphabet.

In addition, the Agrinio - Messologgi - Kryonerio track is constructed in the prefecture of Etoloakarnania, extending the current network by 62km. It is a line constructed in the homeland of Charilaos Trikoupis and put out of operation in 1971. What is of great importance, however, are the projects performed in order to improve and upgrade the existing network. Thus, it is worth mentioning that a lot of projects are currently in progress on the network relating to all three railway regions of the country, namely the regions of Macedonia - Thrace, Peloponnese, and Athens. The entire network constitutes an extensive working site.
The new modern rolling stock that arrive, will renew the fleet of OSE and lead to a service level similar to that of the most advanced European networks.
from www.ergose.gr

Planned: West-Axis

The construction

The philosophy behind the construction of the project is based upon the use of modern means and methods which ensure the feasibility of the project implementation in a short construction schedule, compared to construction methods used in the last 15 years, and significantly reduce the construction cost through contributing to construction speed and quality.

The construction of a large number of tunnels using special Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM), which have been broadly known to the Greek public as "metro-mouse", will greatly reduce the construction time compared to the traditional methods through enhancing the efficiency of site units and saving means and personnel for the performance of secondary operations of equal significance and criticality for the completion time of the project, given the fact that the nature of the project require opening of passing ways in mountainous areas for transport of materials and means of construction. Furthermore, a number of tunnels will be constructed using the NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method), i.e. using explosives together with modern drilling means.

Bridges will be constructed in accordance with the new perceptions (pre-fabricated bearing elements) and modern means, taking into account the morphology of the area. State-of-the-art superstructure materials will be used, as these materials are applied to high-speed tracks in EU railway networks.

Expected Budget: The costs cited below have been calculated, based on existing studies, but mainly on the actual cost and technical experience information gained by Egnatia Odos S.A. from their own project that crosses the mountain of Pindos in parallel of the Kalambaka - Ioannina - Egoumenitsa railway track.

SECTION

TRACK LENGTH
(based on most recent studies and assessments)

BUDGET
[in EURO]

Kalambaka - Egoumenitsa

153km

1,130,000,000

Kalambaka - Kozani

113km

389,000,000

Antirrio - Ioannina
(and connection to Platiyiali port)

210km

776,000,000

Rio - Patras - Kalamata

265km

415,000,000

TOTAL:

741km

2,710,000,000

from: www.ergose.gr



	OSE: New railroad Athens-Corinth

Railstation Korinth


	Tunnel on the main-axis

Tunnel	Length
Kalidromos	9200 m
Othrios	6383 m
Domokos	6020 m
Tembi	5500 m
Panagiopoulos	5150 m
Platamona	4275 m
Peramatos	3520 m
Aegiou	3517 m







	The New Athens Central-Station


	TA NEA (newspaper) present this Map (left). The new western Railway-Axis.