Piraeus, Athens And Peloponnese Railways

Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways or SPAP ( "Siderodromi Pireos Athinon Peloponisou" or Σ.Π.Α.Π. (S.P.A.P.); Martin, Percy Falcke. ''Greece of the Twentieth Century''. T. Fisher Unwin, 1913. p
193Available at
archive.org.) was a Greek railway company founded in 1882 as a private company, owning and operating the (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.

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

History

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 ().

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

It is impossible services will resume fully on the (metre gauge) line onto the next years, as there are now section gaps on the route caused by modern infrastructure, 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 Proastiakos#Patras, 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 railway station, 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 . 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.

As of 2025, progress has been made regarding the potential reopening of the narrow-gauge railway. Discussions are ongoing between the Embassy of Switzerland and the Greek Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, with both parties awaiting approval from the Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport to initiate the necessary feasibility and restoration studies.

Two official meetings have taken place in Nafplio, on the 14th and 15th of March 2024, followed by a third meeting on the 5th and 6th of December 2024.

Recently, when the Swiss Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Stefan Estermann, together with Professor Bernd Scholl of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), walked along parts of the disused railway line. They expressed their support for its restoration, highlighting the railway's historical, cultural, and environmental significance. "At times along the way, we had the impression that all it needed was to cut down a few bushes and the trains could start running again. Ofcourse, we know that the situation is not the same everywhere. However, we realized one thing: the existing infrastructure already has enormous value in itself. If the line had to be built from scratch in the pristine landscape, hundreds of millions of euros would have to be spent. Therefore, it would be financially irresponsible and pointless to not utilize this infrastructure and leave it to decay".

Since 10 June 2025, there has been an interest expressed in the Kalamata municipal council to restore the Kalamata–Messinia part of the line, connecting the port of Kalamata, Kalamata International Airport, the Courts and Messenia, Messinia."Αίτημα επαναλειτουργίας σιδηρόδρομου στο Δημοτικό Συμβούλιο: Πίεση για τη γραμμή Καλαμάτα - Μεσσήνη"
''eleftheriaonline.gr'' Retrieved 14 June 2025

Rolling stock

Steam locomotives

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

Diesel multiple units

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

Diesel locomotives

See also

* Diakofto Kalavrita Railway
* Athens–Lavrion Railway

References

General references

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Further reading

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Piraeus, Athens And Peloponnese Railways
Defunct railway companies of Greece
1882 establishments in Greece
Railway companies established in 1882
1962 disestablishments in Greece
Transport companies established in 1882
Companies disestablished in 1962
Metre-gauge railways in Greece
1962 mergers and acquisitions
Nationalization