Hellenian Kingdom

Transport in Hellenic Kingdom

Generally every city in Hellenic Kingdom has good bus service and a handful have tram. Also many municipals have their own public transport system, supplementing other bus services.

Salonica Public Transport Organization (ΟΑΣΘ in Hellenics,or OASTH) operates a fleet of 650 buses, together with a tram network and Sea Transport Service across Gulf Salonica with small passenger hydrofoils In summer, OASTH offer routes to Halkidiki directly from Airport Sea Station using Cometa Hydrofoils. SPTO pioneered Telematics in its buses with first systems installed in early 1990's. Today the third generation of Telematic System is in use and "green bus stations" are being developed for testing into the year. Also several of its buses converted to burn ethanol provided by sugar wheets.

In Athens, the Public Transport Organization (same structure with SPTO but in bigger scale) operates the largest in Europe fleet of natural gas burning buses, being more than one third of total number (800 of 2200). The first generation of CNG buses appeared in 1996, followed by next generation in 2003. Started in 1980 Athens introduce LPG burning buses, based on indigenous designs (both in 12m and in 8m chassis). Most of these replaced by newer, but the several of the older mini buses soldiered on after a recent rebuilt. Athens also use Telematic system in buses and trolleys (latter belong to a separate organization), installed with cooperation with OASTH.

Together with city buses, Hellenic Kingdom has many Regional Bus lines, known as "KTEL" for the initials of their organization in Hellenics. KTEL are private, not state owned (while in Athens and Thessaloniki Transport Organizations are mixed owned), with ticket price increases gradually by distance and use of conductor. There is also a city form, the "KTEAL" with exactly the same operating system : several central stations and gradually increasing ticket price. Some KTEAL provide also transport to nearby villages as semi-regional routes. As they are independent organizations by city, some KTEAL are more advanced with telematic system while some other "traditional" or even mixed.

Hellenic Kingdom has also an extensive rail network,operated by Hellenic Railways (ΕΛΣ,Ελληνικοί Σιδηρόδρομοι,a state-owned company) , with three electric systems (25kV 50Hz AC in double line, 15kV 16.7Hz in single line both in Standard Gauge lines and 750V DC in some Narrow Gauge 0.75m line in Peloponnese). Standard gauge main lines built from 1898-1913 and merged with ex-Ottoman Empire rail lines in 1916. Total length of the rail network is 6136km plus about 200km industrial lines. Total four gauges are in use, of which 3806km are Standard Gauge, 2080km Metric gauge (Peloponnese, Crete and a branch in Western Kingdom), 194km Narrow Gauge 0.75km (of which most is mountainous rack railway) and finally 56km of 0.60m lines on Pilio mountain. The Industrial lines are private owned, several large factories and companies owned branches of lines which linked with the Main Lines, while some locomotives are painted in their colors as a moving advertisement. The only rule of this for the featured company is to support maintenance of the train and the line.

Most numerous electric locomotive is a variant of the Swedish ASEA Rc series, of which 80 units built from 1972 to 1986 by the Hellenic Factory of Trains and Locomotives. First 40 were based on Rc3 with service speed 140km/h, next 30 were "Rc5" with 160km/h service speed and finally last 10 were upgraded to 180km/h (Rc7 spec) for Intercity trains in main line. In early 2000's 40 more locomotives were built with license from Siemens with service speed 200km/h and 5000kW power (all ASEA/HFTL are 3600kW), while some very old rebuilt electric locomotives based on a Swiss design are still in use. Electrification of railways in Hellenic Kingdom introduced in midwar period (1925 to 1939) in Standard Gauge line and completed in late 1950's to late 1960's. Later in 1980's the 25kV/50Hz electrification system appeared in lines Athens -Thessaloniki- Messimvria and the branch to Igoumenitsa, while all Standard Gauge lines were modernized to allow minimum speed of 100-120km/h in mountainous parts. In this lines theoretical max permissive speed is 250km/h. In single lines max permissive speed is 160km/h. Metric lines are different story, since those single lines dates from 1880-1913. Newer metric lines are those on Crete. After modernization speed is 80-140km/h for Intercity trains. Narrow Gauge lines allow speed of 12-80km/h, depending on gauge and type (rack or not). All electric locomotives of Hellenic Railways are dual voltage.

Some related photos and non-shipbucket designs:

First electric locomotive of Hellenic Railways, H 201 Class (based on Swiss Be4/6 body with Be4/7 transmission, 1560kW, 110km/h, 64 built 1925-1934). The H 301 Class (36 built, 1935-1939) was same but with 2100kW and 120km/h service speed. After the WW2 only 20 total were available for service, ELS Works managed to rebuilt another 30-32 units recycling every damaged loco found in the line during 1946-1952. Today only 16 of H 301 Class are still in use, in Northern Thrace and in Euboea lines, last H 201 Class withdrawn in 2005 from Piraeus-Lavrio and Piraeus-Afidnes lines in Attica. They were painted in a dark green color until 1960's, when they repainted in "Hellas Sprinter" orange-white color. Today however all remaining H 301's have been repainted to their original livery.

Last "Swiss" electric locomotive of Hellenic Railways, the H 401 Class was based loosely on the BLS Ae 4/4 (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLS_Ae_4/4), but electronics were an evolution of the prewar H 201 and H 301. 30 built from 1957-1962, 2450kW, 120km/h. These were painted in "Hellas Sprinter" orange-white color. Gradually most of remaining H 201/H 301 rebuilt in 401 class appearance. Two of each types as preserved as museum locomotives with original body and bogies.

And the ASEA Class, painted like real diesel locomotives. Also the design needs still some work (these locomotives have external disc brakes like Swedish Rc series).

Hellenic Railways also operate diesel locomotives, mostly locally built Alco/MLW and some metric Alsthom. Older generation of Alcos, the DL500C/S and DL532 series has already withdrawn from service, some of the DL532 are rebuilt to shunters and only the newer MLW series (MX627,MXS627H,MX636 and MXS636H) are in service. The MXS###H are actually based on DL500S but with the Alco V16 instead of the V12, with speed 120km/h for the freight only MX-series, and 145-160km/h for rest mixed traffic locomotives. Finally, Hellenic Railways operate diesel trainsets and motor units since late 1930's. The most famous of these is the "Aeolus" Class (nickname due to all units had names from wings), which was the fastest Hellenic train in its heyday (1960-1989) , advertised extensively as "The train that travels faster than wind". Powered by twin V12 Alco of 3600hp total, reached speed 160km/h in an era when all other trains did not exceed 120km/h. It was based on US "Zephyr" class trains of the 1930's (Pioneer Zephyr, Flying Yankee etc).

Second most famous trainset of Hellenic Railways is the MAN-DMU series, another ELS Works design, built as an evolution of older units. Powered by horizontal Bussing-MAN engines, several variants built from late 1980's to late 1990's with two or four engines, metric or standard gauge, capable of taking short local routes or long intercity routes. Fastest of all are the Metric Line "MAN-IC" of Peloponnese, reaching 140km/h to cover the Athens-Patra route in just over 2 hours. An evolution of these is already in service, designed in 2004 and entered service in 2006. The "MAN-2000" as HR refer to it, built around convectional MAN V8 diesels of latest technology. Service speed is 120km/h. 20 units are already in service and more will follow. This chassis became the base for the first electric trainset in HLK, designed for internal Attica routes to replace the vintage H 201's. Actually the electric version entered service three months before the diesel one.

The Aeolus replaced by a variant of the British HST 125 in 1986-1994, of which 36 units are in service. Athens has 11 routes with HST and Thessaloniki 8 and they supplemented also from the H561s and the H551s. The mixed traffic MX###Hs are used for the "simple route", long distance trains, stopping in small towns and villages on the line. To provide faster travel, these trains stop in half stations of the route each (first train in half stations, second in the remaining half etc and always in major cities).

Metric Alsthom diesel locomotives appeared in mid 1960's, imported from France, first 20 were single cab units and 40 double cab were assembled by Hellenic Railways Works (of ELS Works, the Maintenance Section) based on a design for Thailand in 1970's. With almost 2100hp, Alsthoms are still the strongest locomotives on Metric Gauge and usually they used for hauling freights. About 50 were rebuilt in 1990's and some upgraded to 120km/h for use in fast passenger trains in Peloponnese. Also there in service about 30 Alco DL537, all rebuilt from ELS Works in 2000's. Most retained the same appearance with tall nose and a handful modified to double cab units, similar with standard gauge MXS###H. Featured the newer 251 Plus engine (all ALCo 251 power units rebuilt by new parts from Fairbanks Morse) now have reduced emissions and fuel consumption.

A new indigenous electric trainset is being developed, with the target to reach service speed of 240-250km/h, reducing travel time in Athens-Messimvria line to 8 hours from just over 9 today and a new electric locomotive will also entered service within the decade.

Finally the MLW / ETA Diesel locomotives. All share the same body with differences in engine, production line worked from 1970 to 1988, while older Alco DL500S/DL537 manufactured from 1961-197

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