Komotini railway station
Komotini railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Κομοτηνής, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Komotinís) is a railway station that servers the city of Komotini, in Rhodope in East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. The station is located 3 km southeast of the city center, but still within the city limits. The station (as of 2019) is staffed, but only at peak times, but has waiting rooms and a bus stop in the forecourt.
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 Komotini railway station, April 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Komotini 691 00[1] Rhodope Greece | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 41°06′36″N 25°23′38″E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | GAIAOSE[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 5 (1 mothballed) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Train operators | TrainOSE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platform levels | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | No | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Disabled access |      | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Staffed (peak-time only) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1900 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | 1958[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
  Komotini Location within Greece | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
History
The station opened in 1900. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management[5] was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables where cutback and routs closed, as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. Services from Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis were cut back from six to just two trains a day, reducing the reliability of services, and passenger numbers. However, the station building remained open and staffed (at a reduced level). There is old abandoned boxcar shunted onto one of the sidetracks, very close to the station buildings.
Facilities
The station has waiting rooms, within the original brick-built station building. There Are two cafes/restaurants[6] one in the station building, with a second within the station complex. The station is staffed, however only during peak times.[6]
Services
It is served by only one long-distance trains[6] between Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis.[7]
In January 2019 services between Komotini and Alexandroupolis were suspended after a local river burst its banks in the area near the village of Venna, a rail replacement bus service was commenced.[8]
Between July 2005 and February 2011 the Friendship Express, (an international InterCity train jointly operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and TrainOSE linking Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal, Turkey and Thessaloniki, Greece) made scheduled stops at Komotini.
References
- "Komotini Station – National Railway Network – GTP". www.gtp.gr.
- "Γαια Οσε". Gaiaose.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- "» General Network MapOSE".
- "Την 1η ημέρα ο Θεός έφτιαξε τον Σιδηρόδρομο, την 2η το Λιμάνι: Το παράδειγμα της Αλεξανδρούπολης (ένα άρθρο του κ. Ηλία Σ. Τζιώρα)". TrainOSE.
- Jr, Landon Thomas (20 July 2010). "Greek Rail System's Debt Adds to Economic Woes". The New York Times.
- "Thrace travel". Lonely Planet.
- Myrtsidis, Diamantis (2021). Η Ιστορία του Σιδηροδρόμου στον Έβρο (The History of Evros Railway) (in greek) (2nd ed.). Nea Vyssa: Myrtsidis. pp. 150–152. ISBN 978-618-00-3174-4.
- "Komotini-Alexandroupolis train service disrupted after river flood | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com.