London to Athens by train in less than 24 hours

[tasky]

There's an interesting bit in this article about new open access services in Greece

https://www.railjournal.com/passenger/main-line/obb-subsidiary-plans-greek-passenger-services/

A joint venture between a subsidiary of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) and Greek transport and logistics firm Goldair has confirmed it is planning to launch passenger services on the Athens – Thessaloniki corridor in competition with incumbent operator Trainose.

Rail Cargo Logistics Goldair (RCL Goldair) CEO, Mr Zak Kiseoglou, says his company has submitted an application to the Greek Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS) seeking authorisation for the operation of passenger services on the Greek network.

According to local media reports, RCL Goldair is also looking to launch direct passenger services between Athens and a destination in central Europe, with Vienna considered the most likely destination.

It's that last bit that looks most interesting to me

A service between Athens and Vienna would make it possible to take the

15.04 Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, arriving at 18.05
18.25 DB ICE from Brussels to Cologne, arriving at 20.15
21:21 Nightjet sleeper from Cologne to Vienna, arriving at 08.27

Then presumably whatever the onward service to Athens is, arriving in the Greek capital sometime in the afternoon.

London to Athens in 24 hours by train - not too bad!

Seat 61 currently has the journey as taking 48 hours https://www.seat61.com/Greece.htm

 

[Alfonso]

You might get to Belgrade by the afternoon but you'd need a lot of improvements just to get to Thessaloniki let alone Athens.

 

[87015]

Vienna to Athens in 12 hours or so is absolute dreamland. You can’t even enter Greece by train as the few remaining border crossings are long term bus replacements due to immigrant issues (that’s the excuse anyway).

 

[tasky]

That's a shame, the Balkans is an absolute blackhole for fast rail and I was hoping this would somehow make the gap. I wonder if the proposed service would be a sleeper then, given those timings? Either way not having to change would still be an improvement.

 

[Groningen]

There is word from a British trainmagazine that a bridge between Macedonia and Greece is out of order. Do not know whether it is repared. Trains have to run through Bulgaria.

 

[Alfonso]

That's a shame, the Balkans is an absolute blackhole for fast rail and I was hoping this would somehow make the gap. I wonder if the proposed service would be a sleeper then, given those timings? Either way not having to change would still be an improvement.

The trains from Austria to Greece always used to be sleepers, taking two nights. There was a thread on here a couple of months ago about the Attica and another one of the trans-Balkan trains.

 

[tasky]

Just found a vaguely plausible-looking timing map from Interrail... damn, this is worse than I thought!

 

[Groningen]

In the past there was 410/411 Hellas Express which departed München at 21.40 and arrived 2 days later in Athens. That train started in Dortmund at about 11.00. There was also a 290/291 if i am correct.

 

[Alfonso]

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/athens-by-rail.161148/#post-3352012

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Vienna-Belgrade day train leaves at 0842 and reaches Belgrade at 2127 (nearly 13 hours).
The Belgrade-Thessaloniki train leaves at 1835 and reaches Thessaloniki at 1033 (15 hours).
Then it's 5 hours or so on to Athens.
So it would be say 35 hours on a through Vienna-Athens train today.
After Budapest it's a slow plod at typically 50-80 km/h, slower still after you leave Hungary.
Greece is a bit faster (and services are more frequent).
Much of the route is planned for a significant upgrade (often with Russian help), but they've only just started and it will be years before there is much improvement.
New sections of line opened in Greece last year, bypassing the slowest bits, and Belgrade-Novi Sad is being rebuilt now.
It's probably faster UK-Greece via high speed trains to Bari/Brindisi and then the ferry to Patras and bus to Athens, although I wouldn't fancy it.
Or 4 hours on EasyJet.

 

[route101]

Going into Serbia from Hungary i recall the linespeed being very low , was a loco and one carriage , very bouncy .

 

[Esker-pades]

When I tried London to Greece by train (this was 4-5 years ago), I gave up and went as far as Southern Italy before getting the ferry across to Patras and continuing my journey by Greek long distance bus from there.

 

[Groningen]

In the past there was a train from Athens to Patras with a ferry to Italy.

 

[MarcVD]

It is supposed to come back, once the line is finally rebuilt to standard gauge and electrified. But nobody knows when that will finally happen, though...

 

[Groningen]

I believe the new line stops half way and than by bus to Patras. If recall correctly the new stations are not always in the city centre.

 

[MarcVD]

Yes and there is apparently a problem with the City council of Patras that refuses the usage of any alignment other than the existing one, which is not wide enough for a double normal gauge track.. .

 

[Groningen]

In my eyes single track will do. The line stops shortly after Korinthos.