Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways

Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways or SPAP (Greek: Σιδηρόδρομοι Πειραιώς-Αθηνών-Πελοποννήσου "Siderodromi Pireos Athinon Peloponisou" or Σしぐま.Πぱい.Αあるふぁ.Πぱい. (S.P.A.P.); French: Chemin de fer du Pirée-Athènes-Peloponèse) was a Greek railway company founded in 1882 as a private company, owning and operating the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) (metre gauge) Piraeus–Patras railway line connecting Piraeus and Athens to Peloponnese. The company was nationalized in 1954 and formally absorbed by the Hellenic State Railways in 1962.

Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways

Overview
Locale	Attica, Peloponnese
Dates of operation	1882–1962
Successor	Hellenic State Railways
Technical
Track gauge	1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge

Bond of the Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways, issued in January 1912

The name "Spap" originates from the Greek initials of the railway company.

History

Kalamata station, circa 1910

Corinth station, ca 1910

The first line section between Piraeus, Athens and Elefsis was completed in 1884. The line reached Corinth in 1885 and Patras in 1887. In the meantime, an eastern branch from Corinth reached Argos and Nafplion in 1886. The western branch reached Pyrgos and finally Kyparissia in 1902. SPAP also acquired the line between Myloi (near Argos) and Kalamata via Tripoli, from the bankrupt Southern Greece Railways (Sidirodromoi Mesimbrinis Ellados). The two routes to Kalamata, via Patras and via Tripoli, merged at Zevgolatio.

Short branches were also constructed to serve important towns: Argos-Nafplion, Lefktro-Megalopolis, Kavasila-Vartholomio-Kyllini, Vartholomio-Kyllini Spa (Loutra), Pyrgos to Ancient Olympia, Asprochoma-Messini and, much later (1954), Isthmos-Loutraki. Diakofto Kalavrita Railway was also constructed by SPAP, but at a smaller gauge (750 mm or 2 ft 5+1⁄2 in).

The line from Piraeus to Corinth was 99 km, from Corinth to Kalamata via Tripoli 236 km and from Corinth to Zevgolatio via Patras and Pyrgos 347 km. The total length of the system with the branch lines was 731 km. In 1929 SPAP acquired the Heraklion-Lavrion section of Athens-Lavrion Railway, formerly operated by Attica Railways, and constructed a link from Kato Liossia (today Agioi Anargyroi) to Heraklion, to connect the Lavrion line to its network (1931). Passenger services on this branch were suspended in 1957 and it was cut off from the rest of the network in 1962, due to the construction of the Athens-Thessaloniki highway.

During the Axis occupation of Greece in WW2, and especially during the withdrawal of German troops in 1944, the network and the rolling stock suffered extensive damages both by the German army and by Greek resistance groups. Repair of SPAP assets was time-consuming and expensive. Damaged rolling stock was mainly repaired at Piraeus Engine Sheds. Normal levels of service resumed at about 1948 with the exception of the destroyed bridge of Achladokampos (between Argos and Tripoli), which was rebuilt by OSE in 1974.

In 1951 SPAP absorbed the small Pyrgos-Katakolo Railway. In 1953 SPAP absorbed Northwestern Greece Railways (SDBE), which operated a metre gauge line from Kryoneri to Messolongi and Agrinion.

In 1920 SPAP was briefly nationalized as part of the Hellenic State Railways but it became an independent company again two years later. Due to high debts, SPAP came under government control in 1939-1940 and was formally nationalized again in 1954. In 1962 the company was absorbed by the Hellenic State Railways.

Suspension

The economic crisis in Greece led to the suspension of all passenger and freight services on the metre gauge railway system in the Peloponnese in 2011.

Current situation

Main article: P.A.Th.E./P.

It is impossible services will ever resume fully on the 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) (metre gauge) line, as there are now section gaps on the route, although some privately chartered services occasionally run on short sections of line. A short section through the port city of Patras remains open as a suburban railway lines P1 and P2.

However as part of the P.A.Th.E./P. project, the former section of track between Athens and Kiato has been rebuilt to standard gauge and electrified. The Athens Airport–Patras railway, opened in 2007 until Kiato, is served by the Athens Suburban Railway. In 2019 this section of line was extended to Aigio. and eventually Patras, providing a double-track standard gauge rail connection between Patras and Athens. An extension from Patras to Kalamata via Pyrgos is also planned.

It was announced in July 2020 that the sections from Patras to Pirgos and Corinth- Kalamata and the branch to Napfion will reopen in 2021 with some sections perhaps earlier, however, COVID-19 has slowed this progress.

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

Between 1883 and 1962 SPAP used 128 locomotives of 25 different types.

Photo	Class	Numbers	Type	Quantity	Manufacturer	Serial Nos.	Year	Power	Notes
	Αあるふぁ	1-4	0-4-0T	4	Krauss		1883
	Αあるふぁ	5	0-4-0T	1	Krauss		1885
	Αあるふぁ1-6		0-6-0T	6	Couillet		1888
	Βべーた	101-109	2-4-0T	8	Krauss		1883
	Βべーた	111–114	2-4-0T	4	Krauss		1888
	Βς	151–155	2-4-0T	5	Henschel		1912
	Γがんま	201-205	2-6-0T	5	Krauss
	Γがんま	261–268	2-6-0T	8	Couillet		1890		Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway, later renumbered 211–218
	Δでるた	251-252	2-6-0T	2	Krauss		1886		rebuilt as 4-6-0T in 1888
	Δでるた	253-254	4-6-0T	2	Krauss		1888		rebuilt as 4-6-0T in 1888
	Δでるた (Δでるたαあるふぁ)	101–108	2-8-2	8	Vulcan Iron Works		1947	644 kW (864 hp)	USATC S-118 copies
	Δでるた (Δでるたιいおた)	111–120	2-8-2	10	Breda		1951	770 hp (574 kW)
	Εいぷしろん	151–152	4-4-0T	2	Krauss		1887
	Ες	701–702	2-8-0	2	Borsig		1912
	Ες	711–713	2-8-0	3	Borsig		1914
	Ες	721–725	2-8-0	5	Linke-Hofmann		1925
	Ες	726–728	2-8-0	3	Henschel & Sohn		1936
	Ζぜーた	500	2-6-0T	1	Vassiliadis Works		1900/1929
	Ζぜーた	501–517	2-6-0T	17	SACM Grafenstaden		1890–1901
	Ζぜーた	518–526	2-6-0T	9	Krauss		1902–1906
	Ζς	530–533	2-6-0T	4	Krauss		1911
	Ζς	540–542	2-6-0T	3	Krauss		1926		Ex Attica Railways
	Ηいーた	551–552	2-6-0T	2	St. Léonard		1891
	Θしーた	601–603	2-8-0	3	Krauss
	Ιいおた	651–660	2-4-0T	10	Société Belge		1889		Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway
	Κかっぱ	701	0-6-0T	1	Krauss		1889		Ex Myloi—Kalamata railway, originality Kalamata Harbour
	Μみゅー	801–803	0-4-4-0	3	Krauss		1908		Mallet locomotives
	ΔでるたΚかっぱ	1–5	0-6-2RT (750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in))	5	Cail/MPR		1891/1954
	ΔでるたΚかっぱ	11	0-6-RT (750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in))	1	Krupp		1891

Diesel multiple units

SPAP introduced diesel railcars and multiple units early in 1937. They reduced journey times and offered good passenger facilities.

Class	Type	QTY	Manufacturer	Model	Power	Year	Photo
ΑあるふぁΚかっぱ210	Βべーた-2	8	DWF/MAN			1937
3ΑΚ1000	B-2-2-B	7	Esslingen			1956–1957
3ΑΚ640	B-2-2-B	13	DeDietrich			1950–1952
2ΑΚ420	B-2-B	8	Linke-Hofmann			1937
ΑあるふぁΔでるたΚかっぱ01 (750mm)	B-B+2+2-2 rack	3	Billiard			1958
ΑあるふぁΚかっぱ2Χ155	1A-A1	3	Breda			1952

Diesel locomotives

Class	Type	QTY	Manufacturer	Model	Power	Year	Photo
DBς320.01	1-B	1	Piraeus Works		320 HP	1961

See also

• Diakofto Kalavrita Railway
• Athens–Lavrion Railway

Notes and references

• Durrant, A. E. (1972) [1966]. The Steam locomotives of Eastern Europe. Newton Abbot, Devon, UK: David and Charles. ISBN 0-7153 4077 8.

Further reading

Nafplion train station, 1911

• Organ, J. (2006). Greece Narrow Gauge. Middleton Press. ISBN 1-904474-72-1.
• Schönborn, Hans-Bernhard (1997). Edition Ergasias (ed.). Schmalspurbahnen in Griechenland (Peloponnes und Thessalien) (in German). Ed. Ergasias. ISBN 3-909221-32-7.
• Simms, W. F. (1997). The railways of Greece. Wilfried F. Sims. ISBN 0-9528881-1-4.
• J.D.H. Smith, J. D. H. (2011). "Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways steam locomotives". Retrieved 2011-02-14.
• Voyageur (Anonymous) (February 1941). "The Railways of Greece". The Railway Magazine. 87 (524). London, UK: Railway Publications: 64.
• Winkworth, D. W. (May 1967). "Peloponnese Narrow Gauge". The Railway Magazine. 113 (793). London, UK: Transport & Technical Publications Ltd.: 249–254.
• Zartaloudis, I.; Karatolos, D.; Koutelidis, D.; Nathenas, G.; Fasoulas, S.; Filippoupolitis, A. (1997). Οおみくろんιいおた Ελληνικοί Σιδηρόδρομοι (Hellenic Railways) (in Greek). Μίλητος (Militos). pp. 176–216. ISBN 960-8460-07-7.