Kalambaka railway station

Kalambaka railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός Καλαμπάκας, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Kalambákas) is the main railway station in Kalabaka, in the Trikala regional unit, Thessaly. Opened on 16 June 1886 by the Thessaly Railways (now part of OSE). Today TrainOSE operates Regional Express services to desanations across Greece. It is currently the most northwesterly part of the Greek railway network in operation.

Καλαμπάκα Kalambaka
Kalambaka station, June 2012
Location	Kalambaka 422 00, Greece Trikala Greece
Coordinates	39°42′11″N 21°37′31″E
Owned by	OSE
Line(s)	Palaiofarsalos–Kalambaka railway[1]
Platforms	2
Tracks	3
Train operators	TrainOSE
Construction
Structure type	at-grade
Platform levels	1
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	No
Disabled access
Other information
Status	Staffed
Website	http://www.ose.gr/en/
History
Opened	16 June 1886
Rebuilt	2001
Electrified	No
Services
Preceding station   TrainOSE   Following station Trikala toward Palaiofarsalos Regional Terminus Trikala toward Larissa TrainOSE Terminus Trikala toward Thessaloniki TrainOSE Terminus Trikala toward Athens Express Terminus
Location
Kalambaka Location within Greece

History

The station open 16 June 1886 by the Thessaly Railways.[2] The original station building (and the line) was designed by the Italian Evaristo de Chirico, (father of Giorgio de Chirico). The line was authorise by the Greek government under the law AMH’/22.6.1882.[3] soon after the liberation of Central Greece from the Ottomans.

After the First World War, the Greek state planned the ambitious construction of several new rail lines and links, including a standard gauge line from Kalambaka on to Kozani and then Veroia creating a conversion of the route from Volos to Kalambaka on standard gauge. In 1927, the relevant decisions were made, starting in 1928, work was carried out on the construction of the new line from Kalambaka. But a year later, it was clear that the project would exceed the estimated costs many times over. In 1932, the construction work was stopped and remains unfinished.[4]In 1955 Thessaly Railways was absorbed into Hellenic State Railways (SEK).[5]

Freight traffic declined sharply when the state-imposed monopoly of OSE for the transport of agricultural products and fertilisers ended in the early 1990s. Many small stations of the network with little passenger traffic were closed down, especially on the mainline section and between Karditsa and Kalampaka. In 2001 the section between Kalampaka and Palaiofarsalos was converted from Narrow gauge (1000 mm) to standard gauge (1435 mm) and physically connected at Palaiofarsalos with the mainline from Athens to Thessaloniki.[6] Since to upgrade, however, travel times improved and the unification of rail gauge allowed direct services, even InterCity services, to link Volos and Kalambaka with Athens and Thessaloniki.

In modern Greek, MP is transliterated as B, not as MB and not as MP. That shows on the station sign, and also on beer labels (MPYRA).

Facilities

The Station has waiting rooms on platform 1. There is a footbridge from platform 1 to platform 2, via stairs or lift. Luggage storage is no longer available, however the station is staffed, with ticket purchasing facilities.

Services

Today, the station is served by direct lines to the rest of Greece, via Palaiofarsalos, served both by intercity trains to Athens, Palaiofarsalos Larissa and Thessaloniki and Proastiakos to Athens.[7] Previously Thessaly Railways operated a narrow gauge service to Volos.[8]

In August 2009 TrainOSE S.A. proceeded to a drastic cutback of passenger services on Thessaly lines.[9] As of Spring 2020 There are ten (five in each direction) Regional services on Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka Line. In addition, there is one Regional train to Athens from Kalambaka and back (884/885).

Future plans

An extension towards Ioannina and Igoumenitsa has been discussed, but a more northern line from Thessaloniki is currently the preferred trajectory of the so-called Egnatia Railway. However, as of 2020 large investments are unlikely, given the prolonged Greek government-debt crisis.

Station layout

Line structure
to Ioannina to Palaiofarsalos

L Ground/Concourse	Customer service	Tickets/Exits
Level L1	Side platform, doors will open on the right
	Platform 1	→ towards (terminus) ←
	Platform 2	→ towards Palaiofarsalos (Trikala) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the right

The station exterior and approach

• 
  Kalambaka railway station 17 October 2011 (Ioannis Houvardas)
• 
  Thessaly Metre gauge system in central Greece from Volos to Kalabáka (or Kalambaka) was covered during a visit to the country in November 1992. Having spent the night here, the first move on 7 November 1992 was retracing our route as far as the junction station of Paleofarsalos. Seen here is German built 2-car DMU no. A.6522 on train 1845, 09:40 Kalambaka to Volos. Note the rock formations in the background which are a major tourist attraction in the area.
• 
  Kalambaka railway station in 1995 (The Volos–Kalambaka line was still in meter gauge that time).
• 
  Kalambaka railway station, taken from just in front of the buffers at the end of the line 24 May 2016.
• 
  End of the line of the Palaiofarsalos-Kalambaka railway 24 May 2016.
• 
  The Sign at Kalambaka railway station, still sporting the old OSE logo 2007.

External links

• https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?id=77318&lng=2

References

1. "OSE - 2017 Network Statement Annexes".
2. http://www.trainose.gr/en/ιστορικός-σταθμός-βόλου/
3. https://thessalyrailways.gr/?page_id=2768&lang=en
4. Alexandros C. Gregoriou "The Kalambaka - Kozani - Veroia railway 1928 - 1932 (Kopie im Internet Archive)". Archived from the original on April 1, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2018.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
5. https://thessalyrailways.gr/?page_id=2768&lang=en
6. "Upgrading of Paleofarsalos – Kalambaka line". ΕΡΓΟΣΕ. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
7. https://tickets.trainose.gr/dromologia/?lang=en#view=search;apo=%CE%9A%CE%91%CE%A1%CE%94;pros=%CE%A4%CE%A1%CE%99%CE%9A;date=2018-11-23;trip_type=single;return_date=undefined-undefined-
8. "The Pelion Train, a mythical route". TrainOSE. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
9. TrainOSE S.A. "Timetables 1 August 2009", Tables 4A/B, 5A/B