ISAP
Encyclopedia
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...

 system of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

 metropolitan area in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground. The current line evolved from the older Athens & Piraeus Railway and Lavrion Square-Strofyli railway. In June 2011 ISAP was absorbed by a new transport company, STASY S.A.

Athens and Piraeus Railway

The line from Piraeus to Thision was inaugurated on February 27, 1869 as a steam train connecting Athens and its port, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....

, and was operated by Athens & Piraeus Railway Co ( or Σ.Α.Π.). It was the fourth urban rapid transit system to be constructed in the world. The project was considered important, so Queen Olga
Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia , later Queen Olga of the Hellenes , was the queen consort of King George I of Greece and briefly in 1920, Queen Regent of Greece...

 and the Prime Minister Thrasyvoulos Zaimis attended the inauguration ceremony. There were 8 trains in each direction daily and 9 trains in each direction on Sundays.

In 1874 the Athens & Piraeus Railway Company was bought by the Bank of Industrial Credit . Under the new ownership the railway procured additional rolling stock. Soon the line was extended to Omonoia Square with an underground section constructed with the cut-and-cover method.

The line was electrified in 1904 using the 600V DC, third rail, top contact system (today increased to 750V DC) by Thomson Houston.

Hellenic Electric Railways Company

In 1926 the operating company was bought by the Power and Traction Finance Ltd and renamed Ellinikoi Ilektrikoi Sidirodromoi (E.I.S., or Ε.Η.Σ., translated as Hellenic Electric Railways). In 1926 the sister company Ilektriki Etaireia Metaforon or H.E.M., also part of Power Group, took over the Lavrion Square-Strofyli railway. This line was eventually converted to standard gauge, double track and became an extension of the existing line, reaching Attiki in 1948 and Kifissia in 1958.

Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway

In 1976 E.I.S. was nationalized and renamed Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway S.A. (I.S.A.P).

A merger of ISAP with Athens Metro was dictated by Law 2668, however it was postponed indefinitely and the required Presidential Decree was never issued. In January 2011 the Greek Government announced their plans to merge ISAP with Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A., the company which operates Athens Metro
Athens Metro
The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....

, and with Athens Tram in a single new company.

In March 2011, the Greek Government passed Law 3920 to allow ISAP and Athens Tram
Athens Tram
The Athens Tram is public tram network system serving Athens. It is constructed, owned and operated by Tram S.A. , subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. ....

 to be absorbed by Athens Metro
Athens Metro
The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....

 Operations Company (AMEL). The company was renamed "STASY S.A." and became a subsidiary of OASA S.A. The merger was officially announced on June 10, 2011, however no actual integration of infrastructure and operations has taken place yet. STASY is based at the former ISAP head offices, near Omonoia Square in Athens.

Network

Today the only line of ISAP connects the port of Piraeus with the northern suburb of Kifissia
Kifissia
Kifissia or Kifisia is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb of Nea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to the major Greek political families...

. As it was originally designed for steam traction, the line runs mostly above ground. However there are no level crossings. It is built to and is electrified using the 750V DC (originally 600V DC), third rail, top contact system, also used by Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3. The two systems (ISAP and Metro Line 2) have a physical connection at Attiki station.

From Piraeus the line runs eastwards to Neo Faliro and then north to Thision, approximately parallel to the main road connecting Athens and Piraeus. Between Monastiraki and Attiki the line runs underground. At Monastiraki passengers can change to Metro line 3 and at Omonoia and Attiki to Metro line 2. From Attiki the line continues north, following the alignment of the old "Attica Railways" through Patissia, the suburbs of Nea Ionia, Irakleio, Marousi and terminates at Kifissia. At Nerantziotissa passengers can change to the suburban line serving Athens International Airport.

Stations

  • Piraeus
    Piraeus station
    Piraeus station is the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways train station in Piraeus, Greece, located approximately 9 km south-west of the centre of Athens....

    , next to the port, is the southernmost station of ISAP. The Electric Railways Museum of Piraeus
    Electric Railways Museum of Piraeus
    The Electric Railways Museum of Piraeus is a railway museum in Piraeus, Greece. The museum was established in 2005 in the space of the former Post Office in Piraeus ISAP train station...

    , a small museum of urban transport (ISAP and former tram lines) is located in the station, at the former Post Office. A train depot and rolling stock repair facilities are located next to the station. Part of the station and most adjacent engine sheds and works were destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    , on January 11, 1944.
  • Faliro, near Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex
    Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex
    The Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Sports Complex is a complex in the coastal zone of Athens, Greece. It consists of two indoor arenas and a beach volleyball stadium, and it hosted Handball, Taekwondo, and volleyball events at the 2004 Summer Olympics...

     (Peace and Friendship Stadium
    Peace and Friendship Stadium
    The Stadio Eirinis kai Filias , known as S.E.F., is a multi-use indoor sports arena that is located in Faliro, Piraeus, Athens, Greece. It is the central venue of the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex and is mostly known for being the long-time home court of the famous Euroleague basketball club...

     and Karaiskákis Stadium
    Karaiskakis Stadium
    Karaiskakis Stadium is in the Neo Faliro area of Piraeus, Greece. It is the home ground of Olympiacos F.C. and is named after Georgios Karaiskakis , hero of the Greek War of Independence, who was mortally wounded near the area....

    ) and close to a terminal of Athens Tram
    Athens Tram
    The Athens Tram is public tram network system serving Athens. It is constructed, owned and operated by Tram S.A. , subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. ....

     S.E.F. (Σ.E.Φ.) The station includes a rolling stock depot.
  • Moschato
    Moschato station
    The Moschato or Moshato station , older forms: -o and -on on Moschato is an ISAP train station in Moschato, Nea Ionia, Greece several kilometres southwest of Athens and east of Piraeus. It is marked at the 3.982 km from the starting point in Piraeus...

  • Kallithea
    Kallithea station
    Kallthea- or Kalithea Station is an Attiko Metro Green Line is an ISAP station, located in Kallithea and is also named after, 5.558 km from Piraeus. It is located in by the boundary with Kallithea. The second name is named after the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos...

  • Tavros
    Tavros-Eleftherios Venizelos station
    Tavros-Eleftherios Venizelos station is a train station in Athens metropolitan area, Greece. The station is on the Piraeus-Kifissia line of Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , at 6.171 km from Piraeus...

    , with a train reversing siding.
  • Petralona
    Petralona Station
    The Petralona Station is an ISAP station, located in Petralona 7.016 km from Piraeus. It is located in Athens and took its name from the neighbourhood in Athens, It was first opened on November 22, 1954 and features two platforms. It was renovated in 2004....

  • Thiseio - Next to the passenger station there is a train depot and the permanent way maintenance department, with some specialized departmental rolling stock.
  • Monastiraki
    Monastiraki station
    This page addresses a train station in Greece; for the ancient Cretan city, see Monastiraki, Crete.Monastiraki or Monastirion station is an interchange station of the Attiko Metro Blue Line and the ISAP Green Line 1. The original surface station of Line 1 opened in May 17, 1895...

    , passenger interchange with Athens Metro Line 3. Currently the northbound platform is closed due to trackworks and trains to Omonia/Kifissia do not stop there.
  • Omonoia
    Omonoia station
    Omonoia station is a subway station in Omonoia square of Athens used by Attiko Metro and ISAP.The first station opened 1895 but had been completely redesigned until 1930 as a Metro station. In 2000 the additional platforms for Line 2 was opened....

    , passenger interchange with Athens Metro Line 2-currently the terminus of trains coming from Kifissia and Piraeus. There is currently no through train from Kifissia to Piraeus, and passengers wishing to travel so should change trains to the opposite platform.
  • Victoria
    Victoria station, Athens
    Viktoria station is a metro station in Athens, Greece, between Omonoia and Attiki stations. It is named after the British monarch Queen Victoria....

  • Attiki
    Attiki station
    Attiki station is a railway station in Athens, Greece. The station opened in 1885. It was the main hub of Attica Railways, a metre gauge network connecting donwtown Athens with the mining town of Lavrion and the northern suburbs of Marousi and Kifissia...

    , passenger interchange with Athens Metro Line 2. At this station there is also a small depot and the railway connection with the Athens Metro
    Athens Metro
    The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....

     system.
  • Agios Nikolaos
  • Kato Patissia
  • Agios Eleftherios
  • Ano Patissia
    Ano Patissia station
    The Ano Patissia station is an ISAP train station in Ano Patissia, Athens, Greece. It is located at 15.269 km from the starting point in Piraeus...

    , with a train reversing siding.
  • Perissos
    Perissos station
    The Perissos or Perisos station is an ISAP train station in Ano Patissia, Athens, Greece. It is marked at the 16.556 km from the starting point in Piraeus. The station is founded by the limits of Nea Ionia and is named after the neighbourhood of Perissos. It was first opened on March 14,...

  • Pefkakia
    Pefkakia station
    The Pefkakia station is an ISAP train station in Nea Ionia, Athens, Greece. It is marked at the 17.231 km from the starting point in Piraeus. The station is founded by the limits of Nea Ionia and is named after the neighbourhood of Pefkakia. It was first opened on July 5, 1956 was renovated in...

  • Nea Ionia
    Nea Ionia station
    The Nea Ionia station is an ISAP train station in Nea Ionia, Greece several kilometres north of Athens. It is marked at the 17.923 km from the starting point in Piraeus. It was also a train station that served from Lavriou Square and Strofyli ran by the Attica Railways, it was spotted at km...

    , with a train reversing siding.
  • Heraklio
    Heraklio station
    The Heraklio station is an ISAP train station in Irakleio, Attica, Greece, a suburb to the north of Athens. It is marked at the 19,246 km from the starting point in Piraeus....

    , with a train reversing siding.
  • Eirini
    Eirini station
    Eirini or Irini station is an ISAP metro station in Ano Maroussi, Greece several kilometres north of Athens and is next to the Olympic Complex. It is marked at the from the starting point in Piraeus. The station is named after the Greek word for peace in which it is the pure symbol of sports and...

    , near the Athens Olympic Stadium
    Olympic Stadium (Athens)
    The Olympic Stadium "Spiros Louis" , is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, Spiros Louis.-History:...

    . The signalling and control center for the ISAP line and a train washing facility are located next to the station.
  • Nerantziotissa
    Nerantziotissa station
    Nerantziotissa station is a complex of two train stations located in Maroussi, Greece, a northern suburb of Athens. The first is a station of the Athens Metro and the second is a suburban railway station...

    , passenger interchange with the Proastiakos
    Proastiakos
    Proastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...

     suburban services.Also the Mall Athens is acessable from the station.
  • Maroussi
    Maroussi station
    The Maroussi or Marousi station, also starting with A , older forms: -o and -on is an ISAP train station in Maroussi, Greece several kilometres north of Athens. It is marked at the 23.457 km from the starting point in Piraeus...

  • KAT, near the KAT Hospital
  • Kifissia
    Kifissia station
    The Kifissia or Kifisia station, is an ISAP train station in Kifissia, Greece and is also the northermost station. The station is situated several kilometres north of Athens and is marked at the 25.655 km from the starting point in Piraeus...

    , the northernmost terminus.

Steam locomotives

In the early period (1869–1904) the railway used 22 steam tank locomotives of about 6 different types. The majority were of 2-4-0T configuration, made in the United Kingdom by Hudswell-Clarke and Sharp-Stewart.

First generation EMUs

Since electrification (1904) the railway used almost exclusively electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...

 (EMU) trains. The vehicles are classified in batches (or deliveries). The first four batches consisted of wooden passenger cars on iron or steel frames. Currently only a short train of two wooden railcars is preserved, modified with the addition of Scharfenberg couplers at each end and is displayed during special events.
Batch Year Description Photograph
1st Locomotive hauled stock
2nd 1904 40 railcars (20 DM and 20 T) made by Thomson Houston/Desouches David & Cie. Withdrawn in 1985.
3rd 1914 9 railcars made by Baume Marpent/Desouches David & Cie. Withdrawn in 1985.
4th 1923 12 railcars of the Baume Marpent design, built at Piraeus Works. Withdrawn 1985.
- 1947–1948 Rebuilding and modernization of damaged rolling stock


The first generation rolling stock was numbered as in the following table:
Marking number type
A1 to A11 11 DT
Γ417 to Γ427 11 DT
F410 to F418 18 T
B601 to B621 21 DM
Total 61

Second generation EMUs

The fifth (1951), sixth (1958) and seventh (1968) batches were of steel construction, made by Siemens-MAN. At the same time Scharfenberg couplers were introduced.
Batch Year Configuration Type Numbering Description Photograph
5th 1951 DM-DT or
DM-DTL
DM 901-912 24 railcars, in 12 EMU-2 trains. Withdrawn in 1995.
DTL 701-706
DT 801-806
6th 1958 DM-DT or
DM-DTL
DM 913-928 32 railcars, in 16 EMU-2 trains. Withdrawn.
DTL 707-714
DT 807-814
7th 1968–1969 DM-DT or
DM-DTL
DM 929-937 18 railcars, in 8 EMU-2 trains. Some rearranged in EMU-5 trains. Withdrawn.
DTL 715-718
DT 815-819

Third generation EMUs

Currently ISAP uses only modern trains of batches 8, 10 and 11. Batch 8 (1983–1985) consists of five-car trains made by Siemens-MAN. Trains of batch 9 were made by LEW in the German Democratic Republic and have been withdrawn. The trains of the 10th batch (1994), similar to those of the 8th batch, were built by Hellenic Shipyards S.A. using Simenes-MAN design and mechanical parts. The 11th batch (2002) trains, with three phase AC motors were also constructed by Hellenic Shipyards S.A. using ADtranz-Siemens design and mechanical parts.
Batch Year Configuration Type Numbering Description Photograph
8th 1983–1985 DM-T-DM+DT-DM DM 101-145 75 railcars made by MAN/Siemens in EMU-5 sets.
T 201-215
DT 301-315
9th 1983–1985 DM-M+M-DM DM 1101–1125 50 railcars made of aluminium by LEW (type GIII) in EMU-4 sets later rearranged in EMU-6 (DM-M+M-DM+M-DM). In limited use after 1999 and all withdrawn until 2004.
M 2201–2225
10th 1993–1995 DM-T-DM+DT-DM DM 146-175 50 railcars made by MAN-AEG/Siemens-Hellenic Shipyards in EMU-5 sets.
T 216-225
DT 316-325
11th 2000–2004 DM-T-DM+DM-T-DM DM 3101-3180 120 railcars coupled in 20 EMU-6 trains. Made by ADtranz-Siemens-Hellenic Shipyards. Nine railcars were destroyed by terrorists at Kifissia station on 2009-03-02.
T 3201-3240

Other rolling stock

In 1904 two electric locomotives, numbered 20 and 21, were bought from Thomson-Houston.

In 1911 the railway bought from Goossens two steeple-cab electric locomotives (numbered 31 and 32) and a self-propelled electric freight railcar (41), capable of operating from third line or overhead line. These could operate over the Piraeus Harbour tramway, the Piraeus-Perama light railway
Piraeus-Perama light railway
The Piraeus-Perama light railway was a standard gauge suburban light railway line in Greece which connected downtown Piraeus with Perama and Salamis Naval Base...

 as well as on the mainline to Thision and Omonoia. Freight railcar 41 was used initially to carry bags of transcontinental mail unloaded from passenger liners in Piraeus. Locomotive 32 is still in use, with the overhead collector removed.

In addition the railway owns a road-rail Unimog
Unimog
Unimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device...

 car and a ballast tamper
Ballast tamper
A ballast tamper or tamping machine is a machine used to pack the track ballast under railway tracks to make the tracks more durable. Prior to the introduction of mechanical tampers, this task was done by manual labour with the help of beaters...

.

During 1981-1984 ISAP leased six four-car, bright yellow trains of narrow loading gauge (type G-I or Gisela) form East Berlin's metro
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...

.

In the early 1980s consideration was given to the purchase of 60 secondhand cars of London Underground R Stock
London Underground R Stock
The R38, R47, R49, and R59 Stock cars were built for the District Line in 1938, 1949, 1952 and 1959. R Stock cars were driving motors and non-driving motors...

, built between 1938 and 1959, but ultimately no deal was made and new carriages were purchased instead.

Piraeus rolling stock works

Athens & Piraeus Railway, in common with most railways of the steam era, had its own rolling stock heavy maintenance works, located next to Piraeus station. In 1926 this became property of E.I.S. In addition to maintenance, repair and rebuilding, Piraeus works constructed a significant number of railway cars, mostly between 1880 and 1960. The most significant projects were the construction of 12 electric rail cars in 1923 and the rebuilding of rolling stock destroyed by allied bombing in 1944. Another noteworthy project was the construction of a small number of electric tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

s, based on a Dick Kerr
Dick Kerr Type Tram
The Dick, Kerr Type tram was the classic British tram design. It was the most common tram seen on Britain's tramways until the 1950s. The Trams were built by Dick, Kerr & Co. of Preston and Kilmarnock. They were the flagship design of the company. Many different types of the tram were designed...

 model (1939).

An excellent example of the technical skill available at Piraeus works is the Royal Saloon (1888), a present to King George I of Greece
George I of Greece
George I was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the former king Otto. His nomination was both suggested and supported by the Great Powers...

. This luxurious vehicle was much admired and it was exhibited at the 1888 "Olympia Fair" (First Athens International Exhibition) held in Zappeion
Zappeion
The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...

. The Royal Saloon survives to date, and is exhibited in the Railway Museum of Athens
Railway Museum of Athens
The Railway Museum of Athens, Greece, was founded by the Hellenic Railways Organisation in 1978. It is currently located at 4 Siokou Street, next to the mainline from Athens to Inoi. The museum has a collection of items related to the history of rail transport in Greece, many of them exhibited in...

.

Proposed northern extension

An extension to the north is under consideration that would be built in two phases, reaching Nea Erithrea by the end of the first phase and Agios Stefanos by the end of the second phase.

See also

  • Piraeus-Perama light railway
    Piraeus-Perama light railway
    The Piraeus-Perama light railway was a standard gauge suburban light railway line in Greece which connected downtown Piraeus with Perama and Salamis Naval Base...

  • Lavrion Square-Strofyli railway
  • Attica Railways
    Attica Railways
    Attica Railways was a railway company which operated a metre gauge railway system in Attica, Greece.The contract between the Greek government and the Hellenic Company of Lavrion Metallurgies was signed in 1882...

  • Athens Mass Transit System
    Athens Mass Transit System
    The Athens Mass Transit System is the largest mass transit system of Greece. The system serves all areas in Athens Metropolitan Area and other parts of Attica Region.-Companies:...

  • Athens Metro
    Athens Metro
    The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....


Further reading

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