Line A1 is an Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) line in Athens, Greece, managed by Hellenic Train. The service connects Piraeus with the Airport. The line shares a part of its course with lines A2 and A4 as well as Metro line 3, but also with line A3 at Athens. Its earlier iteration was the first suburban line, inaugurated on 30 July 2004, using Class 560 DMUs between Larissa Station (now Athens) and the Airport. With the completion of the electrification of the sections of the line to Athens in 2017 and Piraeus in 2018, the service was reinstated, using Class 460 EMUs rolling stock.

History The initial planning phase of the service provided for the use of express trains (Airport Express) from Piraeus to the Airport with intermediate stations only in Athens, Agioi Anargyroi, Neratziotissa, Kifissias and Doukissis Plakentias, and with a journey time of half an hour. In the end, however, the need to connect the capital's international airport with the city's central metro hub, Syntagma, imposed the joint travel of Suburban and Metro from Doukissis Plakentias to the Airport.

The first section of what is now Line A1 opened on 30 July 2004. The standard gauge service ran from to the Airport, using Class 560 diesel multiple units. Electric train services using Class 460 electric multiple units were introduced between Neratziotissa and the Airport in 2006. On 4 June 2007, diesel services were extended south from Athens to , after the completion of construction on the alignment of the former metre-gauge Piraeus–Patras railway that closed in August 2005.

Direct suburban railway services from Piraeus and Athens to the Airport were suspended on 6 July 2008, forcing passengers to change at and (until 14 February 2009) Neratziotissa. Direct services were later restored with the completion of electrification works on the Piraeus–Platy railway from to Athens on 30 July 2017, and then to Piraeus on 1 February 2018.

Route

Line A1 follows the Piraeus–Platy railway from to , before curving east into the Athens Airport–Patras railway, bypassing the Acharnes Railway Center. The route then follows the Airport–Patras railway, along the median strip of the A6 motorway (Attiki Odos), from to .

, there are 20 pairs of trains per day, with a frequency of one train every two hours. On weekdays, there is an extra pair of trains, with an extra airport-bound train during the early morning, and an extra Piraeus-bound train during the late evening, both of which begin/terminate at Tavros.

Lines A2 and Athens Metro Line 3 shares the route from the Airport up to Metamorfosi and respectively. However, most Metro Line 3 trains start or terminate at , with a through service to the Airport leaving once every 36 minutes.

Map

Stations

The spelling of the station names on this table, in English and Greek, are according to the signage.

† Terminal station# Interchange station

StationStation Regional unitOpenedInterchanges and notesPosition †# Piraeus 30 June 1884rebuilt 2007 Start of common section with Line A4. Interchange with Athens Metro Line 3. Piraeus 30 June 1884rebuilt 2007 Piraeus 30 June 1884rebuilt 2007 Tauros South Athens 1 October 2014 Opened as an infill station. 30 June 1884rebuilt 2007 Athina # Central Athens 8 March 1904 Interchange with intercity services, Line A3 to , and Athens Metro Line 2 at Larissa Station. # West Athens 8 August 2010 Interchange with Line A3 to . Opened as an infill station. West Athens 27 February 2014 Opened as an infill station. Kato Acharnai # East Attica 27 February 2014 End of common section with Line A4. Opened as an infill station. # North Athens 8 August 2010 Start of common section with Line A2. Opened as an infill station. Iraklio North Athens 30 July 2004 # North Athens 6 August 2004 Interchange with Athens Metro Line 1. Opened as an infill station. North Athens 30 July 2004 North Athens 21 February 2007 Opened as an infill station. Plakentias # North Athens 30 July 2004 Start of common section with Athens Metro Line 3. East Attica 30 July 2004 East Attica 30 July 2004 East Attica 30 July 2004 Athens International Airport † East Attica 30 July 2004 End of common section with Line A2 and Athens Metro Line 3. This station is operated by Athens International Airport S.A.

See also Hellenic Railways Organisation Hellenic Train Proastiakos

Notes

References