Train Routes

In the late 19th century, Charilaos Trikoupis, the Prime Minister at the time, decided to construct a railway network for Thessalia. The network first connected the port of Volos with Velestino and then Larissa, Farsala, Karditsa, Trikala, and Kalabaka. The railway had a gauge of 1 metre. The contractors decided to expand the network to the east, and so constructed a railway from Volos to the coastal villages of the Pagasitikos Gulf, which at that time had no public transport. The contracts between the company and the state were signed in 1895.

Because of the topography of the region, the constructors decided on a gauge of 60cm. The designer and supervisor of the works was Evaristo De Chirico, the father of the famous surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico. Italian workers and Pelion builders were used to carry out the construction work. The result, even today, is considered amazing, not only in terms of the perfection of the construction, but also with regards to the way the whole construction is integrated into the environment. This railway route is now one of the most famous in the world because of its outstanding beauty. For the purposes of the railway line, Evaristo De Chirico constructed nine bridges (eight made of stone and one of iron), two tunnels and a significant number of supports. One of the bridges, the iron bridge above the Taxiarhis torrent, now known as “De Chirico Bridge”, is special because of its design. The railway line follows a curve, whereas the bridge itself is straight. Another bridge, the “Vrichonas bridge”, built in 1917, is famous for being the first bridge made of concrete. As for the train itself, three Hagans steam engines were selected, but they were inadequate for the expansion to Milies, so five more Belgian engines were acquired. Moreover, open and closed carriages as well as cargo carriages were used. In the years that followed, the train provided transport for members of the local community. The contractor were under obligation to repair the old cobbled paths that were used by donkeys carrying construction material, in exchange for free grazing in the local fields. In this way, many of the cobbled paths were constructed/repaired. During German occupation, the German army used the train for transport. Upon leaving, they deliberately destroyed most of the infrastructure, which was later restored. As the road network was developed, so the train lost much from its usefulness. The increase of traffic within Volos caused many problems. During the last years of the train, only the first and the last journey each day actually went along Dimitriados Street. On August 1st, 1971, the train finally stopped running … During the 80’s, there were many attempts to revive the train. During that time, the train made some occasional appearances. In 1994, the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) began restoration works on the railway line as well as on some station buildings. Finally, on May 25th, 1996, the route from Ano Lechonia to Milies was re-established and the train began to run again. Nowadays, the train operates mainly at weekends, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the area by using a method of transport other than the road network.

Photo gallery @ Flickr

Info about the train and timetables

Tel 24210 28555 Timetable Staurday and Sunday from Lechonia 11.00 – from Milies 16.00 Every day during the summer. Call for confirmation

One of modern Spain’s most significant achievements has been the development of the Alta Velocidad Española – the Spanish High Speed Train.
Started in 1992 to help promote traffic between Madrid and the Expo ‘92 of Seville, the train service has gone from strength to strength, astounding many of its original critics along the route. The dedicated standard gauge track used by the RENFE-organised train service is still expanding, with new routes designed to come into service within the next few years. The fact that the trains have a standard gauge also means that it will be possible to achieve compatibility with the services of neighbouring European countries – making links with them even easier. Projects at varying stages at the moment are direct high speed links with France and Portugal and there are even tentative plans for a southern rail link from Algeciras to North Africa.
The long-awaited high speed link between Madrid, the Spanish capital, and Barcelona, the country’s second city, was opened in February, 2008 and immediately became a success. Leaving from Madrid’s Atocha train station and finishing its journey at Barcelona-Sants, the first and most obvious advantage is that a traveller can go direct from city centre to city centre – no more aggravation getting out in and out of airports.
For the service to be successful there had to be sufficient trains to cater for the demands of all the passengers and at present seventeen trains make the daily journey each way. The first train leaves Madrid at about 6 am – arriving in Barcelona at 8.43. The last train of the day from Madrid is the 9 pm – arriving at 11.38. The journey time on the non-stop Madrid to Barcelona train, therefore, is just 2 hours, 38 minutes: compare this to the previous journey time of in excess of six hours. The train travels at a maximum commercial operating speed of 300 km/h – 186 miles per hour.
Of course, not all the tains are non-stop – some have calls at Guadalajara, Calatayud, Zaragoza, Lleida and Tarragona – thus lengthening the journey time to just over three hours. Most people, however, won’t mind the extra time taken on the journey. The train is a much more comfortable way to cross Spain than in a cramped aircraft. The dining car snacks are tasty but if you are travelling either by Club Class or Preferent, rather than Turista, a meal is included in your ticket price. Additionally, there are more spacious seats – some with card tables, others which can be turned to face either direction – television screens and a much more convivial atmosphere. The plane might only take just over an hour but by the time you’ve factored in all the checking in time, getting through the arrivals’ lounge and the extra travel, there’s not going to be much difference. Prices are quite similar too – you can get a one way ticket on the train for as little as €47 if you book well in advance but, in most cases, a return ticket will cost between €157 and €192. And, thankfully, you won’t be in danger of being charged for excess baggage!
An added bonus that the airlines will never dare offer is that if your train is delayed by 15 minutes or more you will be entitled to a 50% refund of your ticket price. If it’s more than 30 minutes late, your journey becomes free of charge!
The upshot of all this, of course, is that air travel between Madrid and Barcelona – just two years ago the busiest route in the entire aviation world – has been significantly hit; an estimated 20% shortfall in passenger numbers. There are now nowhere near the 971 scheduled flights of 2007 – and Iberia are apparently planning to introduce a new smaller plane shuttle service that will leave each airport as soon as it is full and keep flying back and forth between the cities. The current economic downturn has meant that air travel has been hit worldwide anyway – and this new competition on such a busy route has had a significant impact.
Environmentalists have expressed their pleasure at the cutting of flights from Madrid to Barcelona – and travellers – businessmen and leisure travellers alike – seem equally as delighted.
It’s certainly given people the opportunity of trying out the fabulous AVE experience.

King’s Cross Station is situated in the North of London and was built in 1851 on the site of a former smallpox and fever hospital.

The station is the southern terminal of the East Coast Mainline which runs between London and Edinburgh. King’s Cross is situated opposite St Pancreas which operates as the southern terminal for the Midland Main Line.

Lewis Cubitt was responsible for designing the original building that still stands today despite several changes to the inside platform configuration.

In 1972 a small extension was added to the front of the station and although it was intended only to be used temporarily it still stands today.

In 2005 Network Rail announced that £400million funding would be spent restoring Kings Cross, which will see the 1972 structure replaced and a new open air piazza will be developed.

Today the station is served by routes from the North and East of England and Scotland, connecting London to major cities such as Leeds, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Inverness.

These routes are operated by three networks; GNER, First Capital Connect and Hull Trains, with GNER being the main and controlling operator.

Over 20million people use the station each year many of which regularly commute to London from northern cities for business commitments.

The station features in the Harry Potter stories as the starting point for Hogwarts Express train and filming for the film ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ took place in the station, however St Pancreas was used for the external shots.

Kings Cross station is well served with several shops including a WH Smiths newsagent and a Burger King and has its own tube station. There are also regular bus services that operate from the station and taxis are readily available. Car hire is also available one mile from the station through Sixt rent a car who also offer a low cost service called Sixti. Sixti allows the renter to hire a small car from just £9 per day.

If you are travelling to London and think using King’s Cross is the right option for you tickets can be booked online through the train networks or independent booking agents.

LUXURY TOUR TRAINS OF INDIA

Depending upon your budget and preference, the Indian Railways offer you a plethora of options when you choose to explore India by train with. There are exclusive and royal luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels, the Royal Orient Train, the Deccan Odyssey, the Heritage on Wheels and the Fairy Queen. Traveling India with an authorised India Travel Agent by these luxury trains is an experience of lifetime. Some of the famous Luxury Trains of India are:

1. Places on Wheels

Palace on wheels is a journey worthy of kings with its cream saloons, with a border of flowers, forbidding fortress, fairytale palaces, fully vestibule and centrally air-condition, truly a Palace on Wheels.

2. Heritage On Wheels

No other region in India, or perhaps, even in the world, has such a large concentration of high quality frescoes as the region of Shekhawati. The Heritage on Wheels, a luxury tourist train on meter gauge enroute to the unexplored regions of Bikaner and Shekhawati, famous beholders of the Heritage of Rajasthan. Heritage on Wheels is a prefect royal treat for all those on board organized with restaurant and shopping facility.

3. Royal Orient

The Royal Orient train is one of the world’s most exotic trains where you get to explore two of the most fascinating and culturally rich states of India, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The journey by the Royal Orient takes you back to the times of Rajas and Maharajas which is fitted with all the modern conveniences you would expect in five star hotels like clean, comfortable and furnished cabin with spacious bath equipped with running hot and cold water and multi-cuisine restaurants, bar and library.

4. Fairy Queen

The Fairy Queen starts once in a month from October to February renowned for its oldest working engine in the world with the capacity of 50 passengers starts from Delhi to Alwar. The train stops at every major destination and the ambience inside the Fairy Queen makes you feel like a Maharaja as you take on the royal journey. The comprehensive two-day tourist package includes on-ground catering, lodging, boarding, transfer facility, visit to Sariska National Park, cultural programmes etc. In the package, the tourists would be taken to Alwar and would be lodged in Hotel ‘Tiger Den’ at Sariska.

5. Deccan Odyssey

The Deccan Odyssey criss-crosses the Indian Deccan Plateau over 2400 km in Eight days covering beautiful beaches in Goa and Maharashtra, the grand forts and palaces of the Marathas, the Osho Ashram in Pune, the historic sites of Ajanta, Ellora, Aurangabad and the modern city of Mumbai. The 21 coach Air-Conditioned Deccan Odyssey offers combination of richly furnished Deluxe Cabins and Presidential Suites. There are two Dining Cars, One Bar Saloon with smoking lounge area, Conference Area/recreation saloon with small Business Centre, Spa Saloon with mini-gym. Each passenger Saloon has four Deluxe Cabins and is serviced by a private attendant/butler, who looks after tea/coffee service and housekeeping.

6. Konkan Train

Konkan Railways, one of the most luxurious train journey offers breathtakingly beautiful sights to the commuters, unexplored destinations with natural charm covers the length of 760 kms, with 1,798 bridges and 88 Tunnels on the route. Konkan Railways offers a mesmerizing picturesque from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram via Veer-Khed-Chiplun-Ratnagiri-Rajapur Road-Sindhudurg-Mapusa Road-Goa-Udupi-Mangalore-Kochi.