Kozani-Amyntaio railway line
Encyclopedia
The Kozani–Amyntaio railway line is a (standard gauge
) 59.4 kilometres (36.9 mi) long railway
line of OSE connecting Kozani
and Amyntaio
in Greece
.
Construction of the line for the former Hellenic State Railways
started in January 1951 and was completed in 1954. It is a branch
of the Thessaloniki
-Amyntaio
-Florina
-Bitola
line, which began operations in 1882. The line serves the town of Ptolemaida
, and connects to the lignite-fired power plants of Public Power Corporation
(ΔΕΗ) at Komanos freight station. The terminal station is in the southern part of the city of Kozani.
Industrial branch lines connect to the PPC power plants of Ptolemais and Agios Dimitrios, normally used by freight trains carrying light fuel oil. Another branch line to the former fertilizer plant of AEVAL is disused. The line is also used by freight trains carrying sugar beats to Platy.
The Kozani–Amyntaio line was under renovation between 2003 - 2007. On January 22, 2007, it was reopened with three trains daily, which departed from Kozani, arriving in Thessaloniki
in three hours (instead of four hour before the renovation). A comparable bus trip between Kozani and Thessaloniki via Egnatia Motorway
takes 1.5 hours. Since 1 August 2009 the passenger service was reduced to only one train per day and the passenger services were terminated in 2010. Infrequent freight trains still use the line to reach the PPC power generationg stations.
Construction of a line from Kozani to Kalampaka
is still under consideration.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
) 59.4 kilometres (36.9 mi) long railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line of OSE connecting Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
and Amyntaio
Amyntaio
Amyntaio is a town and municipality in the Florina peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. The population of Amyntaio proper is 4,407, while that of the entire municipality is 18,975...
in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Construction of the line for the former Hellenic State Railways
Hellenic State Railways
Hellenic State Railways or SEK was a Greek public sector entity which was established in 1920 and operated most Greek railway lines until 1970.-History:...
started in January 1951 and was completed in 1954. It is a branch
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
of the Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
-Amyntaio
Amyntaio
Amyntaio is a town and municipality in the Florina peripheral unit of Macedonia, Greece. The population of Amyntaio proper is 4,407, while that of the entire municipality is 18,975...
-Florina
Florina
Florina is a town and municipality in mountainous northwestern Macedonia, Greece. Its motto is, 'Where Greece begins'. It is also the Metropolitan seat for the region. It lies in the central part of Florina peripheral unit, of which it is the capital. Florina belongs to the periphery of West...
-Bitola
Bitola
Bitola is a city in the southwestern part of the Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative, cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba and Nidže mountains, 14 km north of the...
line, which began operations in 1882. The line serves the town of Ptolemaida
Ptolemaida
Ptolemaida is a town and a former municipality in Kozani peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Eordaia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, and connects to the lignite-fired power plants of Public Power Corporation
Public Power Corporation
The Public Power Corporation S.A. is the biggest electric power company in Greece. It is controlled to an extent by the government, and it produces and supplies electricity to all the country.-History:PPC was founded by the Greek government in 1950...
(ΔΕΗ) at Komanos freight station. The terminal station is in the southern part of the city of Kozani.
Industrial branch lines connect to the PPC power plants of Ptolemais and Agios Dimitrios, normally used by freight trains carrying light fuel oil. Another branch line to the former fertilizer plant of AEVAL is disused. The line is also used by freight trains carrying sugar beats to Platy.
The Kozani–Amyntaio line was under renovation between 2003 - 2007. On January 22, 2007, it was reopened with three trains daily, which departed from Kozani, arriving in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in three hours (instead of four hour before the renovation). A comparable bus trip between Kozani and Thessaloniki via Egnatia Motorway
Egnatia Odos (modern road)
Egnatia Odos is the Greek part of the European route. It is a motorway in Greece that extends from the western port of Igoumenitsa to the eastern Greek–Turkish border at Kipoi. It runs a total of...
takes 1.5 hours. Since 1 August 2009 the passenger service was reduced to only one train per day and the passenger services were terminated in 2010. Infrequent freight trains still use the line to reach the PPC power generationg stations.
Construction of a line from Kozani to Kalampaka
Kalampaka
Kalabaka is a municipality in the Trikala peripheral unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. The population 11,841 . The Meteora monasteries are located in the town. Kalabaka is the northwestern terminal of the old Thessaly Railways, now part of OSE...
is still under consideration.