Acharnai Railway Center

SKA (1st phase, 2010)
Work in progress at Acharnai Railway Center, while MLW diesel locomotive A-453 hauls southbound freight train 54507 over the existing Athens-Inoi line, 2008-02-01. Track gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Legend
Fm Athens Lykotrypa SKA Ano Liosia Acharnai To Inoi

The Acharnai Railway Center (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικό Κέντρο Αχαρνών) or SKA is a railway junction in the north of the Athens Metropolitan Area in the municipality of Acharnes (Menidi) where some important railway lines converge. The junction is still under construction.

A new passenger railway station is also under construction at the junction and is expected to be quite busy. The high level passenger platforms are named Acharnai Railway Center (S.K.A.) and the single low level platform is named S.K.A. - Acharnai.

The lines that converge in the junction are:

• The main line from Piraeus and Athens Central (Larissa station) to Acharnai and Inoi.
• The line serving Athens International Airport and the area of Eastern Attica and Mesogia.
• The new standard gauge Peloponnese line currently used by the suburban/regional service to Corinth and Kiato.

Passenger traffic started on 5 April 2011 On that day trains running between Athens and Inoi Junction stop on the high level mainline platforms and trains running between Ano Liosia and the Airport stop at the low level platform. The other platforms are still under construction.

After completion the Acharnai Railway Center station will facilitate passenger transfer between mainline trains, Peloponnese trains and suburban and regional services, becoming one of the busiest railway hubs in Greece. After the completion of the new high-speed Corinth-Kiato-Patras line, it will also be possible to run direct services between northern Greece and Peloponese, at least down to Patras.

See also

• Proastiakos