High Speed Train Runs One Year Late in Greece

[Maybach]

The first high-speed train in Greece originally scheduled to begin service in March 2021 on the Athens-Thessaloniki route is almost one year late.

On Monday, rail operator Trainose announced that the fourth train is on its way to Greece from Italy. The ETR 470 No. 6 will be the penultimate vehicle to arrive and will be added to the fast route, after the arrival of the ETR 470 trains No. 1, 7, and 8 last year.

The much-delayed kickoff of the first route will first have to overcome another hurdle, however, as the Hellenic Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) has yet to certify the trains, a requirement before the new train goes into operation.

The first train, called “White Arrow”, which can reach speeds of 200 km (124 miles) per hour, arrived in Greece in January 2021.

Its inaugural journey was scheduled to take place on March 25, 2021 which coincided with the bicentennial of the beginning of Greece’s War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821.

The one-year delay was caused by the request of the rail regulator which asked the manufacturing company to fit mechanisms to clear sand and snow on the undercarriages of the trains.

Source: "Greek Reporter"

 

[duesselmartin]

Lets hope the Greek have some luck with the Italian hand me down.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Hand-me-down junk
Oh and it was minus 5 in Athens today!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Of course, the entry of new trains onto the UK network is never delayed by the nit-picking regulator...

 

[Alfonso]

Of course, the entry of new trains onto the UK network is never delayed by the nit-picking regulator...

I'm sure they needed the snow deflector adaptations, after all they used to run (very unreliably -remember the cesso alpino campaign?)through the completely snowless Swiss alps

 

[Maybach]

I have to be honest, and this is a bit off-topic (although I started the thread so I guess it's okay!) but I know virtually nothing about Greek railways. It strikes me as a subject worth delving into but I don't recall ever seeing any books (other than a narrow gauge one) or even that many magazine articles. Is it worth starting some sort of separate Greek railways discussion thread? Hmm, not sure.

 

[duesselmartin]

Railways in Greece have never had the same signicants post WW2 as in the rest of Europe, hence the lack of material. The market is marginal.
Todays Railway Europe has always reported in Greece.

Martin

 

[the sniper]

I have to be honest, and this is a bit off-topic (although I started the thread so I guess it's okay!) but I know virtually nothing about Greek railways. It strikes me as a subject worth delving into but I don't recall ever seeing any books (other than a narrow gauge one) or even that many magazine articles. Is it worth starting some sort of separate Greek railways discussion thread? Hmm, not sure.

It's an interesting place railway wise. Things do get done there, but how seems incomprehensible.