RAILWAY LINE ATHINA - PIREAS: Since 1843 discussions and proposals for a railway connection between Athina and Pireas had begun. On 28 December 1855, a bill was voted in Parliament for the establishment of a railway from Athina to Pireas. After many awards and auctions, which could not be implemented, on 14 October 1867, a contract was signed between the state and the English capitalist Edward Pikerig. On 8 August 1868, he founded the English company under the name Societe Anonyme from Athens to Piraeus Railway or better known as the Sidirodromos Athinon - Pireos SAP (Athens-Piraeus Railway). On 23 December 1868, the company signs a new contract with the Greek State for the construction and operation of the railway connection between Athina and Pireas. The first line, which was paved, was a single line with a length of 8.5 km, a width of 1,435m. and connected Athina from Thissio station to Pireas. On 17 February 1869, the first test of the line took place and on27 February 1869 the inauguration took place at Thissio station. The next day,28 February 1869, regular services begin. In 1875 the company was acquired by the Bank of Industrial Credit and in 1880 it establishes a new company with the same name with a share capital of 4.000.000 divided into 25.000 shares of a nominal value of 160 drachmas. In 1882 the construction of the Pireas station and the construction of a dock in Neo Faliro and Moschato were completed. In 1887 we have the transfer of Neo Faliro station to its current location. On 25 May 1889 , the contract of 14 December 1888 for the extension of the line to Omonia and the construction of new stations in Omonia and Monastiraki was ratified. In the years 1890-91 the layer of a second line in the existing network is completed. On 17 May 1895, the one-line extension from Thissio to the underground station of Omonia and the operation of the Monastirion station (Monastiraki) come into operation. On 16 September 1904, the inauguration of the electrification of the Omonia - Pireas line took place and begins to become known under the name "Ilektrikos". As of 16 October 1925, discussions and actions for the merger of the SAP, the Sidirodromi Attikis SA (Attica Railway) and the Athina - Pireas - Suburbs tramway company began, which was achieved on 1 April 1926. From this emerged the Elliniki Ilektriki Sidirodromi EHS (Hellenic Electric Railways) with responsibility for the operation of the Athina - Pireas electric railway and the coastal tram and the Ilektriki Eteria Metaforon HEM (Electric Transport Company), which would operate the Athina and Pireas tramways (outside the coastal line), as well as the Attica Railways line, Athina - Kifissia (width 1 meter). In addition, HEM would undertake the obligation to modernize the line, which concerned its conversion to a normal range (width 1,435 meters) and its connection to the line of the EHS of Pireas - Athina through the construction of an underground tunnel, which would connect the stations of Omonia and Attici. On 7 January 1928 the majestic station of Pireas was inaugurated, which operates until today and on 1 July 1928 the station of Kallithea. On 21 July 1930, the underground station of Omonia takes place. On 8 August 1938, the last route of the (Therion) of HEM from Athina (Attiki Square) - Kifissia took place, when the railway connection (width 1 meter) to Kifissia ceased for some time. On the same route, the construction of a double line of normal range with electrification from Attiki to Kifissia will begin, thus unifying the two networks in one and connecting Pireas with Kifissia.
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RAILWAY LINE ATHINA - PIREAS |