Line A4 is an Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) line in Athens, Greece, managed by Hellenic Train. The service connects Piraeus with the coastal town of Kiato, via intermediate towns and cities in western Attica and Corinthia. The line shares a part of its course with lines A1 and A3 out of Athens railway station and has an interchange with line A2 at Ano Liosia. The first iteration of the line was inaugurated on 27 September 2005, between Athens and Corinth via Neratziotissa. The service was reinstated on 30 July 2017, with the completion of the electrification until Athens in 2017 and Piraeus in 2018.

History

An indirect standard gauge train service between Athens and Corinth started on 27 September 2005 after seven months of testing. The service was extended from Athens to Piraeus on 4 June 2007, and from Corinth to on 9 July 2007. It initially used Class 560 DMUs, and had to reverse at via a siding.

The first direct trains between Piraeus and Kiato, which did not have to reverse at Neratziotissa, ran on 6 July 2008, with the completion of the westbound track curve at the Acharnes Railway Center (SKA). Between 12 December 2010 and 29 July 2017 the service was suspended, and electric train services using Class 460 EMUs were introduced between Kiato and Athens Airport, forcing passengers heading to and from Piraeus and Athens to change at for the non-electrified service into the urban area. Due to further service cuts, the interchange was moved to SKA between 25 June 2012 and 9 February 2014.

Direct services between Athens and Kiato were restored with the electrification of the Piraeus–Platy railway from to Athens on 30 July 2017, and then to Piraeus on 1 February 2018. The line now exclusively uses Class 460 EMUs rolling stock.

Route

Line A4 follows the Piraeus–Platy railway from to , alongside side line A1 and line A3 after Athens Central, however the latter does not stop at and . Afterwards, it curves west into the Athens Airport–Patras railway via the westbound tracks with inactive platforms at SKA. It then follows the Airport–Patras railway, parallel to the A6 and A8 motorways until Kiato.

, there are 18 pairs of trains per day, with a frequency of one train per hour. There is also a special, early-morning Athens–Kiato service which stops only at Ano Liosia, Magoula, Megara, Corinth and Zevgolatio.

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 A1. 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 and regional 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 A1.

Opened as an infill station. West Attica 10 May 2018 Opened as an infill station. # West Attica 18 July 2006 Interchange with Line A2 to .

Opened as an infill station. West Attica 18 July 2006 Opened as an infill station. West Attica 18 July 2006 Opened as an infill station. West Attica 27 September 2005 West Attica 27 September 2005 Kinetta West Attica 27 September 2005 Agioi Theodori Corinthia 27 September 2005 Korinthos Corinthia 27 September 2005 Corinthia 8 July 2012 Opened as an infill station. †# Corinthia 9 July 2007 Interchange with regional services to .

See also Hellenic Railways Organisation Hellenic Train Proastiakos

References