History

SHORT HISTORY OF LINE 1

The Urban Railway from Piraeus to Kifissia known as the “Electric Railway”, was at first steam driven and later electrified, connecting the Capital Athens to its port, Piraeus.Before the railway, horse carriages had carried out transportation between the two cities, in order to serve their needs (Athens 40.000 inhabitants and Piraeus 6.500 inhabitants at that time). Let’s see some important milestones of its operation.In 1834, Athens became the Capital of the Greek State and a year later, in 1835 Fragiscos Feraldi made the first proposal for the construction of a railway to the Greek Government, but without success. Eight years later, Alexander Rangavis proposed it in public but again without any success.In 1855, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexander Mavrokordatos, passed the first bill through the Parliament for the establishment of the Athens – Piraeus railway. Soon this bill became law and was issued to the Government’s Journal. This was the TZ Law ”for the establishment of the Athens – Piraeus Railway” which had given the right of operation, to the company, which would undertake the construction of the Railway, for 55 years. Two years later, this right increased to 75 years.In 1867 after repeated auctions, offers and assignments, the railway’s construction was awarded to Edward Pickering, a businessman from England, and in November of the same year the works for the railway’s construction started.One year later, in 1868, Pickering transferred his obligations to a company established by a group of other companies with the name “Railway from Athens to Piraeus” (S.A.P. SA).This company completed the construction of the line and the first test ride took place on February 17th 1869. The railway’s formal inauguration took place on the 27th of February 1869, and among the passengers of the first scheduled trip were Queen Amalia, Prime Minister Zaimis, Ministers, Diplomats, Military Officers and many other dignitaries.At last, the dream became real and a train with a steam engine and 6 small wagons covered the distance from Thissio to Piraeus (8,5 kilometers) in 19 minutes.The newspapers of the time, commented in length, favorably for the new railway.Between the first scheduled trip, on the 27th of February 1869, and the 16th of September 1904, when the railway was electrified, a double line had been paved, a tunnel had been constructed from Thissio to Omonia, and the “old” Omonia station was inaugurated on the 17th of May 1895. Athens “tasted” the experience of an underground railway.The comments of those days’ newspapers were lengthy and varying. It is worth mentioning some of them, which indicated the society’s reaction to a major innovation.
“Oh dear, what can I tell you”, one of the guests was saying to another. “I think that they are going to lock us in the tunnel with the barbarians”. And bending to his interlocutor’s ear, asked him seriously.- Have you drawn up your will?
- No.
- Did you at least confess your sins ?
- Neither.
- I didn’t have the courage, to come here unprepared. This tunnel seems to me as a guillotine.Later, when the railway was electrified, another article in the newspaper “The Times” mentioned:- A ticket to Faliron, first class, please.
- Return ticket?
- No, one-way. I cannot be sure that I will arrive at Faliron alive.In 1926, the companies S.A.P. S.A., the ATTICA RAILWAYS S.A. (the operating company of the railway from Athens – Attiki Place - to Kifissia, known as the THERION of Kifissia), with a branch from N. Heraklion to Lavrion and the ATHENS – PIRAEUS TRAMWAYS S.A., the operating company of the trams, co-operated with the English Trust POWER. From this co-operation, two Companies arose:

• I.E.M. S.A. (Electric Transportation Company) which operated the trams and the line of Kifissia and
• E.I.S. S.A (Hellenic Electric Railways S.A.), which operated the line from Athens to Piraeus.E.I.S. S.A. undertook, both the obligation of the ex SAP’s S.A. operation and the improvement of the existing line, by extending it through an underground tunnel towards Attiki Station with double rail, in order to reach Kifissia, constructing an underground Station to Omonia Square.In January 1928, construction works for the new underground OMONIA station started and on the 21st of July 1930 the innovated station was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos.In 1937 I.E.M. SA undertook the electrification of the Kifissia’s railway and in 1938 for the sake of construction works, THERION retired.In the meantime, due to the 2nd World War the construction works stopped and so we reached 1950.During that year, a contract between the companies of E.I.S. and I.E.M., concerning the extension of the line from Attiki to Kifissia was ratified by Law and the line was finally completed up to Kifissia in August 1957.The railway connection from Piraeus to Kifissia became reality

In June 1955, a Bus Division (ISAP GREEN BUSES), which was established to serve the needs of passengers of the Piraeus area, was proved to be a reliable and friendly man transit system. Unfortunately till the end of 2001, the operation of that Bus Unit was gradually ceded to another company, which operates Thermal Buses in Athens.
On January 1st 1976, the ownership of E.I.S. was transferred to the Greek State and the company was renamed to I.S.A.P. S.A., its current name (Athens – Piraeus Electric Railways S.A). Modernization, expansion and the urge for faster and more reliable services in a clear environment without noise, have never stopped until today, with the renovation of all the stations, the replacement of the rails and the signaling system, the purchase of 120 new vehicles, and many other works in order to upgrade the services offered to passengers. Plannings being in progress:

• A new underground station in the middle of the city of Piraeus, at Korai Square, with an underground tunnel starting from the existing station of Piraeus up to Faliro station.
• Extension of Line 1 to North and South suburbs of Athens.During those years, ISAP has “experienced” great moments such as transportation of Kings and Queens, diplomats, VIPs, and visitors during the first Olympic Games which took place in Athens in 1896 and the recent ones in 2004.It has transported soldiers during war times. It has also managed to outlive after a bombing during the Second World War, and reconstruct the ruined buildings and trains.Hellenic Electric Railways SA also operated 2 Tramway Lines :
  a)Piraeus Seafront Tramway (1910 - 1960) and
  b)Piraeus-Perama Tramway (1936 - 1977).
  

• 1869: Steamdriven Railway from Thissio to Piraeus was inaugurated by the company S.A.P. SA
• 1889: The underground Tunnel from Thissio to Omonia was constructed
• 1904: The electrification of the railway
•  1926: S.A.P. SA renamed to E.I.S. SA
• 1948: The line is extended to Attiki
• 1957: The line is extended to Kifissia
• 1976: E.I.S. SA ownership was transferred to the Greek State and the company renamed to I.S.A.P. SA