Greece railway strike disrupts train and suburban services across the country
Train and suburban railway services across Greece have been disrupted on Friday, October 30, following a 24-hour strike by railway workers. Several major routes, including Athens–Selanik(Thessaloniki), Selanik–Serres and Dedeağaç(Alexandroupoli)–Çirmen(Ormenio), have been affected by cancellations.
Hellenic Train announced that numerous intercity, regional and suburban services would not operate due to the industrial action organised by the Panhellenic Railway Workers' Federation (POS) in support of a strike by the union representing locomotive drivers.
WHICH TRAIN SERVICES HAVE BEEN CANCELLED?
The main routes affected by the cancellations include:
Athens–Thessaloniki: Trains 56 and 51.
Athens–Lianokladi: Trains 520 and 521.
Thessaloniki–Larissa: Trains 1592, 1595, 2592 and 2593.
Thessaloniki–Serres: Trains 1634 and 1635.
Thessaloniki–Sindos: Trains 3751, 3752, 3753, 3754, 3755 and 3756.
Alexandroupoli–Ormenio: Trains 1682 and 1683.
ATHENS SUBURBAN RAILWAY ALSO AFFECTED
Suburban railway services around Athens have also experienced extensive cancellations.
On the Piraeus–Kiato, Athens–Chalkida and Piraeus–Airport routes, several services scheduled between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. and between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. have been included in the cancellation list.
In Patras, suburban railway services on the Agios Andreas–Rio and Agios Andreas–Kaminia routes have also been cancelled at various times throughout the day.
Some services on the Kiato–Aigio (Vostitsa) route have also been suspended.
Hellenic Train warned that further cancellations could be announced during the day as a result of the strike.
RAILWAY WORKERS DEMAND BETTER SAFETY AND WORKING CONDITIONS
The railway workers' demands include improved rail safety, upgrades to train fleets and railway infrastructure, measures to address staff shortages and better training conditions for employees.
The union representing locomotive drivers argues that the resignation of 20 young train drivers in recent months highlights the scale of the problems facing the sector.
Hellenic Train, meanwhile, has challenged the legality of the industrial action, stating that an earlier strike call over the same issue had been prohibited by a court ruling. The company criticised the latest action for disrupting railway operations and inconveniencing passengers.
Passengers are advised to check their train numbers and the latest cancellation announcements through Hellenic Train's official communication channels before travelling.
