TrainOSE

The Hellenic Railways Organization's operating arm Trainose is to boost services on the Athens-Thessaloniki route between Thursday and Tuesday, May 28, in a bid to help those traveling to their constituencies to vote in Sunday's local authority and European Parliament elections.

Despite expectations for the use of the so-called Silver Arrow - a high-speed train from Italy - electricity-powered line between Athens and Thessaloniki will employ three Trainose trains that have been renovated by Rosco as of next Monday, General Secretary for Transport Thanos Vourdas announced on Monday.

Hundreds of migrants Friday occupied the capital's central Larissis railway station, leading to the suspension of services, as they sought to board trains to Thessaloniki to join hundreds more migrants planning to travel north amid rumors that the border would be opening.

The acquisition of railway carriage maintenance company Rosco by Italian-owned railway service operator Trainose has been completed, making the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane subsidiary the dominant player in the local market.
The 100 percent stake in Rosco sold for 22 million euros.

The project to electrify the railway section between Lianokladi and Domokos on the Athens-Thessaloniki route will reportedly be completed by the end of the month, allowing Italian-owned railway service operator Trainose to launch the Pendolino ETR-485 electric trains that will cut the journey between the two cities to just over four hours.

Cosco-owned Piraeus Europe Asia Rail Logistics (PEARL), Goldair, and the consortiums of Damco and the FDL Group, and Italian-owned Trainose and Sarmed have expressed interest in the concession of the 1.45-square kilometer plot in the Thriasio area by Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) for the development of a new transit center.

The Intercity rail service is set to return to Greek tracks in the coming weeks, as railway operator Trainose is, according to sources, planning to resume the four-hour connection between Athens and Thessaloniki in a bid to raise its corporate profile and increase passenger numbers.

Train services between the northern Greek cities of Komotini and Alexandroupolis were suspended on Thursday after a local river burst its banks in the area near the village of Venna, in the regional unit of Rhodope.

Railway operator Trainose said the route is being serviced by buses. 

The cold weather front that has gripped Greece caused some disruptions in train and bus services in Athens and other regions of the country on Tuesday.

National railway services are facing some delays while Athens's urban train stops at Irini station, instead of Kifisia. 

Tension between state-controlled Hellenic Railways' Organization (OSE) and Italian-owned railway service operator Trainose has increased amid mutual accusations over the quality of passenger and cargo rail services, while the two companies are also on the verge of legal action over financial considerations.