Rapsani railway station

Ραψάνη
Rapsani
Rapsani old station building, before electrification work, January 2005
General information
LocationSidirodromikos Stathmos Rapsanis 400 07[1]
Larissa
Greece
Coordinates39°53′59″N 22°36′53″E / 39.8997°N 22.6147°E / 39.8997; 22.6147
Elevation83.00 metres (272.31 ft)
OwnerGAIAOSE[2]
OperatorHellenic Train
Line
Distance151.7 kilometres (94.3 mi) from Thessaloniki
Platforms2
Tracks2
Connections
  • Bus interchange Bus
    Hellenic Train Bus
Construction
Structure type
At Grade
Platform levels
1
ParkingYes
Cycle facilities
Yes
Accessible
Other information
StatusStaffed
Websitehttp://www.ose.gr/en/
History
Opened1916
Rebuilt7 September 2008 (2008-09-07)
Electrified25 kV AC, 50 Hz[4]
Former namesPyrgetos
Original company
Evangelismos-Tempi-Rapsani railway
Services
Preceding station Thessaloniki Regional Railway Regional Rail Following station
Larissa
Terminus
 Line T1 Neoi Poroi
towards Thessaloniki
Former service
Preceding station Thessaly Railways Following station
Terminus Larissa–Volos Chalki
towards Volos
Location
Rapsani is located in Greece
Rapsani
Rapsani
Location within Greece

Rapsani railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός Ραψάνης, Sidirodromikos stathmos Ραψάνη) is a railway station near the village of Rapsani, Thessaly, Greece. It is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the centre of Rapsani and sits in the shadow of Mount Ossa. The station reopened on 7 September 2008 after renovations and upgrades to the line. The station is served by both fast Regional trains and Proastiakos to Thessaloniki. Intercity services pass through the station, but do not call at it. The station was formerly called Pyrgetos station because of the small village close to the station.[5]

History

The station was originally opened in 1916 as part of Evangelismos-Tempi-Rapsani railway; the station building dates from this period. In 1970, OSE became the legal successor to the SEK, taking over responsibilities for most of Greece's rail infrastructure. On 1 January 1971, the station and most of the Greek rail infrastructure were transferred to the Hellenic Railways Organisation S.A., a state-owned corporation. 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.

In 2001, the infrastructure element of OSE was created, known as GAIAOSE; it would henceforth be responsible for the maintenance, of stations, bridges and other elements of the network, as well as the leasing and the sale of railway assists.[6] In 2003, OSE launched "Proastiakos SA", as a subsidiary to serve the operation of the suburban network in the urban complex of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2004, the station and the line closed as part of the upgrades to the Piraeus–Platy Line. Rapsani, and a small section of the Evangelismos-Tempi-Rapsani Line was retained.

In 2005, TrainOSE was created as a brand within OSE to concentrate on rail services and passenger interface. Rapsani station reopened on 7 September 2008, as part of the rollout of Proastiakos services. In 2008, all Proastiakos were transferred from OSE to TrainOSE. Since 2008, the station is served by the Proastiakos Thessaloniki services to New Railway Station. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed, as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane[7] infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE.

On 5 September 2023, Storm Daniel[8] triggered largescale flooding in Thessaly. The rail infrastructure was badly affected in the region, cutting off both Regional and Intercity routes[9] as significant parts of the infrastructure were washed away.[10] OSE engineers were on the ground in the worst affected areas Domokos, Doxaras, and Paleofarsalos to assess the extent of the damage, and prepare detailed reports, and seek financial assistance from the European Union.[11] 50 km (31 mi) of tracks was completely destroyed[12] Repairing the extensive damage was estimated at between 35 and 45 million euros.[13] OSE managing director, Panagiotis Terezakis, spoke of reconstruction works reaching 50 million euros, confirming at the same time that there will be no rail traffic in the effected sections of the network for at least a month.[14] The devastation goes beyond the tracks and signalling, affecting costly equipment such as the European Train Control System (ETCS), which enhances rail safety.[15] In November 2023, rail services resumed between Rapsani and Larissa following the devastating storm[16][17]

Facilities

The station is staffed, with a working Booking office (as of 2019) and waiting rooms. There are toilets. The platforms can be reached by a raised walkway accessed by stairs or lifts.

Services

Local and Regional rail services

The station is served the following lines of the Thessaloniki Proastiakos or regional railway:

National rail services

Currently, Intercity trains on the Athens–Thessaloniki axis pass through Rapsani, but do not call at the station.

Accidents and incidents

On 28 February 2023, a passenger train and a freight train collided 10.9 kilometres (6.8 mi) south of the station, resulting in the deaths of at least 57 people and injuring dozens,[21][22][23][24] making it the signal deadliest railway accident on record in Greece.[21][22] 50 to 60 people are currently unaccounted for following the crash.[25]

Station layout

L
Ground/Concourse		 Customer service Tickets/Exits
Level
L1		 Side platform, doors will open on the right
Platform 1 ← Thessaloniki Regional Railway Line T1 to Thessaloniki (Neoi Poroi)
Platform 2 Thessaloniki Regional Railway Line T1 to Larissa (terminus) →
Side platform, doors will open on the right

References

  1. ↑ Cite error: The named reference ose.gr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ↑ "Ιστορικό Εταιρείας" [Company History]. GAIAOSE (in Greek). Athens. Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  3. ↑ Cite error: The named reference ose-ns-2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. 1 2 "OSE - 2020 Network Statement Annexes". Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Zisis Protopapas: The Larissa Railway, pp.3
  6. ↑ "Home". gaiaose.com.
  7. ↑ "It's a new day for TRAINOSE as FS acquires the entirety of the company's shares". ypodomes.com. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ↑ Skopeliti, Clea (29 September 2023). "'The earth is sick': Storm Daniel has passed, but Greeks fear its deathly legacy". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Οι πόλεις που δεν πηγαίνει σήμερα το τρένο - Ποιες το έχασαν και πού λειτουργεί η τηλεδιοίκηση". Reader (in Greek). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Greece's floods disrupt rail services". RAILMARKET.com. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  11. ↑ "Οι πόλεις που δεν πηγαίνει σήμερα το τρένο - Ποιες το έχασαν και πού λειτουργεί η τηλεδιοίκηση". Reader (in Greek). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "Greece: 50 km of destroyed tracks require 50 million euro investments". RailFreight.com. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Οι πόλεις που δεν πηγαίνει σήμερα το τρένο - Ποιες το έχασαν και πού λειτουργεί η τηλεδιοίκηση". Reader (in Greek). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "Greece: 50 km of destroyed tracks require 50 million euro investments". RailFreight.com. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "Οι πόλεις που δεν πηγαίνει σήμερα το τρένο - Ποιες το έχασαν και πού λειτουργεί η τηλεδιοίκηση". Reader (in Greek). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
  16. ↑ "Restoring Thessaly railroad to take at least two years, minister says | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. kathimerini.com. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Train service from Larissa to Rapsani to resume | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. kathimerini.com. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  18. ↑ επιβατικό έργοtrainose.gr Archived 2020-07-27 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ "Proastiakos timetable 2020" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  20. ↑ "» General Network MapOSE". Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  21. 1 2 Panoutsopoulou, Magda. "Greece declares 3 days of national mourning in wake of deadly train crash". AA News. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  22. 1 2 "2 trains collide in northern Greece, at least 15 killed". BNO News. 28 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  23. ↑ "Dozens killed after two trains collide in Greece". BBC News. 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  24. ↑ "At least 40 dead, scores injured after trains collide in Greece". Reuters. 1 March 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  25. ↑ Smith, Helena (1 March 2023). "Greece train crash: at least 40 killed and dozens injured in collision". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
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