90 Posts in Transportation

Route operator Hellenic Train announced last week that two additional pairs of Intercity trains will restart services and new departure times will be added for better passenger service.   Greece gradually reopened on March passenger and freight rail routes that had been halted since a passenger and a cargo train carrying more than 350 people collided head-on on Feb. 28 on the same track near the city of Larissa, killing 57 people.

Iran seized a second oil tanker in a week on Wednesday in Gulf waters, the U.S. Navy said, the latest escalation in a series of seizures or attacks on commercial vessels in Gulf waters since 2019. The incident comes after Iran on April 27th seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman, which is being held by authorities in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Greece is home to many of the world's leading ship owners, managers and the broader maritime services industry. "Due to recent Iranian threats of possible retaliation against Greek shipping, we strongly recommend the navigation in the above area as well as in the Straits of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman to be carried out, if possible, outside the waters under Iran's jurisdiction, and under increased caution when sailing near the above areas," Greece's shipping ministry said in an advisory dated April 20th seen by Reuters.   Greek government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One industry source with knowledge of the situation said shipping companies were advised to leave the area close to Iran. "Greece has issued a couple of informal warnings for the seafarers in the area a few weeks ago," a Greek shipping industry official with knowledge of the issue told Reuters separately. The official added that other Greek tankers were "moving away from the area" without providing more details. Data from analytics company MarineTraffic showed the number of tankers that left Gulf countries near to Iran reached 107 vessels and an additional 36 LNG carriers in the April 19-26 period versus 60 tankers and 26 carriers in the April 27-May 3 period. About a fifth of the world's crude oil and oil products passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow choke point between Iran and Oman, according to data from analytics firm Vortexa. Maritime security company Ambrey said following the initial warning by Greece's shipping ministry, it "observed the exodus of an unusually high number of Greek-flagged vessels from the Gulf region". "Ambrey assess the risk to merchant shipping was not limited to the flag-state but to the affiliations with Greece and the U.S." Washington has seized a cargo of Iranian oil in recent weeks aboard a tanker managed by a Greek company.

The vessel is managed by Greece-based Empire Navigation. As oil markets remain jittery, the cargo seizure is the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran after years of sanctions pressure by the US over Iran’s nuclear program. Iran does not recognise the sanctions, and its oil exports have been rising. Tehran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while Washington suspects Iran wants to develop a nuclear bomb. Maritime security company Ambrey said the US confiscation took place at least five days before Iran’s action on Thursday. “Ambrey has assessed the seizure by the Iranian Navy to be in response to the US action,” it said in an advisory to clients. “Both tankers were Suezmax-sized. Iran has previously responded tit-for-tat following seizures of Iranian oil cargo.” The sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Washington took control of the oil cargo aboard the Marshall Islands tanker Suez Rajan after securing an earlier court order. The tanker’s last reported position was near southern Africa on April 22nd, ship tracking data showed. The vessel’s Greece-based manager, Empire Navigation, and the US Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.           The US Navy said Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, the latest seizure or attack by Tehran on commercial vessels in sensitive Gulf waters. Iranian State TV said on Friday the tanker ignored radio calls for eight hours following a collision with an Iranian boat, which left several crewmen injured and 3 missing.”Before using force, we tried to call the vessel …to stop but they did not cooperate,” Iranian deputy navy commander Rear Admiral Mostafa Tajodini told the broadcaster. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was aware of the Gulf of Oman seizure and reaffirmed support for international maritime law, a UN spokesperson said on Friday. Last year the US tried to confiscate a cargo of Iranian oil near Greece, which prompted Tehran to seize 2 Greek tankers in the Gulf. Greece’s supreme court ordered the cargo returned to Iran. The 2 Greek tankers were later released. In a step likely to exacerbate tensions, 12 US senators on Thursday urged President Joe Biden to remove Treasury Department policy hurdles that have prevented the Department of Homeland Security from seizing Iranian oil shipments for more than a year. In 2020, Washington confiscated four cargoes of Iranian fuel aboard foreign ships that were bound for Venezuela and transferred them with the help of undisclosed foreign partners onto 2 other ships which then sailed to the US.

In Athens, demonstrations are planned at 11:00 in Syntagma Square and at the same time in Piraeus at Pasalimani.  In Thessaloniki, demonstrations are planned at the Statue of Eleftherios Venizelos at 11:00  Additional demonstrations are expected to take place throughout Greece during the day. The following strikes are scheduled for Monday, May 1, 2023 (12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.), unless otherwise noted: Ferry and boat employees will be on a 24-hour strike. The National Railway will be on a 24-hour strike. The Attica/Peloponnese Suburban Railway will be on a 24-hour strike. Trolleys will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Buses will operate only from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Other organizations may decide to join the transportation strike for May 1, 2023, without warning.  Please monitor www.apergia.gr and local media for last minute strike notifications.    Actions to Take: Review your travel plans. Contact your airline or travel company for assistance. Avoid the areas of the demonstrations. Exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests. Monitor local media for updates. Keep a low profile.      Assistance: U.S. Embassy Athens +(30) 210-721-2951 AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov https://gr.usembassy.gov   U.S. Consulate General Thessaloniki +(30) 2310-376-300   State Department – Consular Affairs (888) 407-4747 or (202) 501-4444

According to their unions' announcements, buses and trolleys will not be running on Monday, May 1st, from the start of the shift until 09:00 and from 21:00 until the end of the shift. Consequently, buses and trolley in Athens will operate from 09:00 until 21:00.

According to sources, the investigation revealed irregularities in both the training of the stationmaster on duty at the time of the accident and his transfer to the position (due to his age). It also found that safety protocols were not followed by both the stationmaster and the train driver. Once the hearing is completed, RAS will issue its final decision regarding the accident, which will outline the alleged violations in detail and the penalties incurred, as well as making binding recommendations for improving safety systems at railway bodies and proposals for an overall improvement of rail transport safety. 47 people died in the disaster, which left dozens injured.   died in the disaster, which left dozens injured.

It was announced by the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) on Monday. This strike is being held to mark Labor Day (May 1), noted PNO.

The Urbino 12 Hydrogen was provided to OSY by Solaris Hellas SA following an open invitation by the Infrastructure & Transport Ministry. OSY CEO Stefanos Agiasoglou said "we started the test drive of hydrogen-powered buses to assess their operation under Greek reality conditions, and to determine the way to prepare our facilities for the demands of hydrogen-powered vehicles." The bus has been operating in the center of Athens for around a month on the cyclical route of Ano Patissia to Zappio, tranporting hundreds of passengers daily for free."The future in transportation is in hydrogen, and it is possible that the future of road transport is based on the vehicle we tested," Agiasoglou added. OSY is participating in the first European pilot programs for the use of hydrogen in transport, and will soon acquire three such vehicles, funded by the European Union. Solaris general manager Theodoros Chatzipanagiotou noted that the company has been applying hydrogen-powered technology since 2015, and it has a zero carbon footprint. Bus features Urbino 12 Hydrogen is a typical 12-meter low-floor vehicle and can transport up to 37 seated passengers. It has three two-panel doors and an electric ramp in the middle one for mobility-impaired passengers, heating, and anatomical seating, LED lighting that can be regulated, and a leaning system to assist passengers boarding or leaving the bus. The bus uses hydrogen fuel cells, conveyed through two electric engines that are incorporated in the wheels on the back.

The PM was briefed on the progress of works and attended the symbolic naming ceremony of one of the two tunnel-boring machines, which was named 'Athena'. "This is a very important day for the city of Athens' transport infrastructure," said Mitsotakis. "Line 4 is the largest public work that will be implemented in Greece in the next few years. Line 4 will be ready by the end of the decade. As the [transport] minister said, it will serve nearly 350,000 fellow-Athenians and provide massive relief to the capital's traffic problem," he added. Construction of the line is expected to be completed by 2029. The line will feature 15 stations on a 12.8 km dual track. It will span some of the capital's most densely populated areas, reducing the trip from Alsos Veikou in Galatsi to the Evelpidon courts compound to 5 minutes, and to the Athens University campus at Zografou to 14 minutes. It is estimated that when Line 4 begins operation, it will decrease road traffic by approximately 53,000 vehicles, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 17,000 tons per year. The construction project is budgeted at 1.5 billion euros, and it is expected to generate 5,000 new jobs. Moreover, the first of 2 massive tunnel borers that will be put to work on the extension of the Athens metro is being assembled, the president of Attiko Metro SA announced last month. In a post on social media, Nikos Tachiaos published photographs of the construction site on Katehaki Avenue in the Athens suburb of Ellinoroson where the assembly is taking place.  “And so, the time has come to start a U-shaped wormhole, which in a few years’ time will prove that there are shorter routes (in terms of time) than those that appear to be along a straight line: Galatsi-Goudi in 17 minutes with the ultramodern metro of Line 4,” he said in the post, referring to the two end-stations on the new line. The new 12.8 kilometer line will consist of 15 stops that will be served by 20 driverless trains at 90-second intervals during rush hour, Tachiaos said.           The stops are: Alsos Veikou, Galatsi, Elikonos, Kypseli, Dikastiria (courts), Alexandras (avenue), Exarchia, Akadimia, Kolonaki, Evangelismos, Kessariani, Panepistimioupoli (university campus), Zografou, Ilissia and Goudi.  

Buses and trolleys will operate on Holy Saturday as on every other Saturday but all drives will have pulled into their depots by 11:00. On Easter and Easter Monday the Sunday schedule will apply and on Tuesday, April 18, buses and trolleys will follow the normal Saturday schedule. Depending on levels of passenger traffic and if it is considered necessary, services to the airport, to Piraeus port and intercity bus stations will be increased.   Changes will also apply  to the Athens metro and tram services through Wednesday, April 19, as follows: On Holy Saturday the last trains will depart: Line 1 from Piraeus to Kifissia and from Kifissia to Piraeus at 10.20 p.m.; Line 2 from Anthoupoli at 10.44 p.m. and from Elliniko at 10.41 p.m.; Line 3 from Doukissis Plakentias at 10.42 p.m. and from Dimotiko Theatro (Piraeus Municipal Theater) at 10.39 p.m.; from Syntagma station to all directions at 11 p.m. and from the airport at 10.22 p.m. and from Dimotiko Theatro to the airport at 9.43 p.m. The last tram of line 6 from Pikrodafni leaves at 10 p.m. and from Syntagma at 10.45 p.m. On line 7 from Asklipio Voulas it leaves at 9.44 p.m. and from Agia Triada at 9.58 p.m. Commuters using public transport during the Easter holidays can visit the organization’s websites for more details, at www.oasa.gr.

Buses and trolleys will operate: On Holy Friday as every normal Saturday On Holy Saturday as on every other Saturday but all buses and trolley will be at the depots at 23.00. On Easter and Easter Monday the Sunday schedule will apply and finally, On Tuesday, April 18 buses and trolleys will follow the normal Saturday schedule  Depending on levels of passenger traffic and if it is considered necessary, services to the airport, to Piraeus port and intercity bus stations will be increased. Changes will also be applied to the Athens metro and tram services between Holy Friday and Wednesday April 19, as follows: On Holy Saturday the last trains will depart: Line 1 from Piraeus to Kifissia and from Kifissia to Piraeus at 22:20. Line 2 from Anthoupoli at 22:44 and from Elliniko at 22:41 Line 3 from Doukissis Plakentias at 22:42 and from Dimotiko Theatro at 22:39 From Syntagma station to all directions at 23:00 From the airport at 22:22 and from Dimotiko Theatro to the airport at 21:43 The last tram of line 6 from Pikrodafni at 22:00 and from Syntagma at 22:45 On line 7 from Asklipio Voulas at 21:44 and from Aghia Triada at 21:58. Passengers that are going to use public transport during the Easter holidays can visit the organisations' websites www.oasa.gr and www.stasy.gr.

A total of 14 ferries are scheduled to depart for the Aegean islands and 31 for the islands of the Saronic Gulf. Another 12 ferries will depart from the port of Rafina and 9 from Lavrio. On Thursday, a total of 19 ferries departed for the Cycladic and eastern Aegean islands, the Dodecanese and Crete, with over 31,000 passengers on board. Traffic out of the city is also reported to be up on last year. In the 24 hours up to 6 a.m. on Good Friday morning, a total of 311,220 vehicles passed through the toll stations on the Corinth and Lamia motorways, up from 291,141 vehicles on the same period last year. Trucks of over 3.5 tonnes are forbidden from using national highway lanes leading out of the capital from 06:00 until 16:00 on Good Friday. Regional bus companies are reported to be fully booked, with 400 services scheduled to depart from Athens on Good Friday from the city’s two regional bus stations. Services on domestic flights are reported to be at 85-90% capacity, with 594 departures and arrivals scheduled at Athens International Airport on Good Friday. Top domestic destinations from Athens include Mytilene, Heraklion, Chios, Rhodes, Paros, Limnos, Santorini and Karpathos. Accordingly, the top destinations from Thessaloniki are: Mykonos, Santorini, Chios, Limnos, Mytilini, Chania. The top international destinations from the capital are Madrid, Barcelona, Hamburg, Marrakesh and Budapest.