The Patras–Kyparissia railway () is a railway line of the OSE in

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek language, Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaḯa'', ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwest ...

Elis Elis also known as Ellis or Ilia (, ''Eleia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it ...

, and

Messenia Messenia or Messinia ( ; ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a prefecture (''nomos' ...

, southwestern

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. This 163 km long single track

metre-gauge Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...

line connects

Patras Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...

, Pyrgos and

Kyparissia Kyparissia () is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has ...

Connections

The Patras–Kyparissia railway is connected to the following other railway lines: *at

to the Piraeus–Patras railway *at Kavasila to the (abandoned)

Kavasila–Kyllini railway The Kavasila–Kyllini railway () was a meter gauge railway line of the Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways (SPAP) in Elis, Greece. It branched off the Patras–Kyparissia railway at the railway station of Kavasila. This long line served ...

*at Pyrgos to

Katakolo Katakolo () is a seaside village in the municipality of Pyrgos in western Elis, Greece. It is situated on a headland overlooking the Ionian Sea and separating the Gulf of Kyparissia from the rest of the Ionian. It is west of Pyrgos. The small v ...

*at

Alfeios The Alpheios (, , Latin Alpheus), sometimes spelled Alfeiós, is the main stream of the Alpheios Valley drainage system, a dendritic type, originating on the north slopes of Mount Taygetus, located in the center of the Peloponnesus of Greece, a ...

to Olympia *at

Kalo Nero Kalo Nero or Kalonero ( meaning "good water") is a village and a community of the Trifylia municipality, Messenia, southern Greece. The population of the community is 559 (2021 census), including the smaller settlements Ano Kalo Nero, Kakavas, St ...

Zevgolateio Zevgolateio (, also Ζευγολατιό - ''Zevgolatio'') is a town in the municipality Velo-Vocha, Corinthia, Greece. It is located 82 kilometers west of Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Gr ...

There was a ferry connection from Patras to Kryoneri, the southern terminus of the (now abandoned) railway line to

Missolonghi Missolonghi or Mesolongi (, ) is a municipality of 32,048 people (according to the 2021 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis Mesolongiou (). Missolon ...

and

Agrinio Agrinio (Greek language, Greek: Αγρίνιο, ; Latin: ''Agrinium'') is the largest city of the Aetolia-Acarnania regional units of Greece, regional unit of Greece and its largest municipality, with 89,691 inhabitants (2021) as well as the seco ...

History

Construction of the line was started in May 1887. The first section from Patras to Kato Achaia was opened in 1888, and to Pyrgos in 1890. Kyparissia was reached in 1902. Since January 2011, passenger traffic on most of the line has been suspended.

Current use

Currently, only two sections of the railway are in use: *

– Agios Andreas (as part of the Patras suburban railway) * Pyrgos–

(tourist trains from

to Olympia)TrainOSE brochure Katakolo-Olympia
/ref>

References

External links

Friendly Associations of Greek Railways site

Official website of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE)TRAINOSE website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patras-Kyparissia railway Railway lines in Greece Achaea Elis Messenia Metre-gauge railways in Greece Railway lines opened in 1889 1889 establishments in Greece 2011 disestablishments in Greece