The document summarizes the history of rail transport between Athens and Piraeus, Greece. It describes how the line was first established in 1869 by an English company to connect the port of Piraeus to the center of Athens. Over subsequent decades the line was expanded, electrified, and its infrastructure upgraded. By 2000 it became incorporated into the Athenian metro system. The Museum of Electric Railways opened in 2005 in the old Piraeus terminal station, maintained by retired railway employees to preserve the history of rail transport in Athens through artifacts and educational programs.

1. Experimental School Of University Of Athens

2. Museum Of The Electric Railways

3. 1835-1867: Initiatives of Greek
politicians and wealthy Greek people
for the establishment of the railway in
the newborn Greek State.
1867: Commission to the English
company “Edward Pickering” for
the establishment and exploitation
of the Athens-Piraeus Railway.

4. The First Route
1869: The first steam railway
comes into use and the line
from Thission to Piraeus, 8
km. long, connects the biggest
port of the country with the
centre of Athens.
The first locomotive was
named after Queen Olga of
Greece (1867-1913).

5. 1875: The English company
was sold to the Bank of Credit
The Athens-Piraeus Railway
becomes one of the country's
symbols of progress and
prosperity.
New locomotives were bought,
coaches were produced in the
company's factory at Piraeus
and the line expanded.

6. 1895: the line is connected with Omonia, the very heart of
the Greek capital.
1904: the electrification
begins
1930: Inauguration of the new Omonia Station by the Prime
Minister Eleftherios Venizelos.

7. Thanks to the railway…
At the end of the 19th
century Athens comes
nearer to the sea and the
seashore develops
rapidly.

8. 1957: The
line reaches
the terminal
station of
Kifissia. Οnly
3,2 km are
underground
out of a total
of 26.

9. 2000: ΑTTIKO METRO Co is established and the Electric
Railways becomes the Green Line of the Αthenian metro,
with 24 stations.

10. Museum Of The Electric Railways

11. 2005: The
Museum was
inaugurated in
the Piraeus
Terminal Station
of the Electric
Railways

12. Retired employees of the
Athens and Piraeus
Electric Railway
Company have gathered
here a lot of objects,
machinery, photos,
personal equipment
used by the workers of
the Company, even a
19th century wooden
coach, which visitors
can see on the ground
floor of the Museum.

13. Today the
Company's
Association of
Pensioners
run the
Museum, offer
free guided
tours to the
visitors and
promote the
Museum
through
educational
programs for
school classes.

14. Bibliography
http://www.museum-synt-isap.gr Ηλεκτρικοί
Σιδηρόδρομοι 1869-1969, Αθήνα 1970 [ Greek Electric
Railways 1869-1969]

15. Editing:
Nefeli Paraskevopoulou