Hellenic Railways Organisation

The Hellenic Railways Organisation, commonly abbreviated as OSE, is Greece’s state railway infrastructure organisation. It was established on 1 January 1971 under Legislative Decree 674/1970 as the successor to the Hellenic State Railways, which had been created in 1920. OSE became the principal institution responsible for the country’s national railway system, including the ownership, management, maintenance and development of most railway infrastructure in Greece. Athens rapid-transit lines are outside its main remit. OSE historically combined infrastructure stewardship with railway operations. Its responsibilities later became divided among specialised entities as Greece reorganised the sector in line with European railway-sector separation. ERGOSE was established in 1996 to manage major infrastructure projects, especially projects supported by European funding. GAIAOSE was created in 2001 to manage railway property and assets, including stations, bridges and other facilities, as well as the leasing and disposal of railway real estate and rolling-stock-related assets. Proastiakos was established in 2003 as a subsidiary serving suburban rail operations around Athens, particularly in the period leading up to the 2004 Olympic Games. TrainOSE was created in 2005 as an OSE brand focused on train services and the passenger interface; Proastiakos services were transferred to TrainOSE in 2008. Rolling-stock maintenance responsibilities were subsequently associated with EESSTY, which became a separate entity in 2013. The organisation’s infrastructure portfolio covers the principal Greek railway corridors. The backbone of the system is the P.A.Th.E./P. route, linking Patras, Athens, Thessaloniki and the northern border corridors at Idomeni and Promachonas. The main Athens–Thessaloniki route is approximately 520 kilometres long. Other important corridors connect Athens with the airport and the Peloponnese, while branch lines serve or historically served locations including Volos, Florina, Kozani, Chalkida, Corinth, Kiato and Aigio. By December 2020, the Greek railway network had approximately 2,293 kilometres of active line length, although the permanently operated network was shorter and some sections were used primarily for seasonal or tourist services. OSE’s role changed significantly during Greece’s railway privatisation and restructuring programme. In December 2008, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund became the organisation’s sole shareholder. TrainOSE was subsequently offered for privatisation. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane submitted the only binding offer and acquired TrainOSE in 2017; the passenger operator later adopted the Hellenic Train name. This separation left OSE principally associated with infrastructure, while passenger and freight services on the network were conducted by other companies, including Hellenic Train, Rail Cargo Logistics Goldair, Pearl and Grup Feroviar Român. Natural disasters and railway-safety concerns have been major recent challenges. Storm Daniel caused extensive flooding in Thessaly in September 2023, destroying or seriously damaging track, signalling and safety equipment. OSE engineers assessed the affected sections and supported reconstruction planning. Partial services resumed later that year, but some routes, including the Larissa–Volos connection, remained suspended while repairs continued. In 2025, Greece reached an agreement with Deutsche Bahn for technical assistance, operational guidance and staff training aimed at improving railway performance and safety. The same year, the Greek government advanced a restructuring plan to create a new body, Greek Railways, bringing together infrastructure, modernisation, asset and rolling-stock responsibilities previously distributed among OSE, ERGOSE and GAIAOSE. The future legal and organisational status of OSE within that structure requires confirmation.

OSE was created on 1 January 1971 through Legislative Decree 674/1970, replacing the Hellenic State Railways as Greece’s national railway organisation. Its original remit was broad: it owned and operated the national railway system and managed the associated infrastructure, rolling stock and services, apart from Athens rapid-transit lines. The creation of OSE reflected the consolidation of Greece’s railway administration into a single national entity. During the 1990s and 2000s, Greece began separating infrastructure, project delivery, passenger operations and asset management. ERGOSE was established in 1996 within the OSE framework to facilitate railway infrastructure works, particularly projects requiring significant public and European Union funding. Electrification advanced during this period; the first electrified section between Thessaloniki and Eidomeni opened in 1999 using a 25 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead system. GAIAOSE was created in 2001 to manage railway property and infrastructure-related assets, including stations, bridges, buildings and railway real estate. In 2003, Proastiakos was formed to operate suburban services around Athens. The subsidiary was connected with preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games and the expansion of modern commuter rail. TrainOSE was introduced in 2005 as a service and passenger-interface brand. Proastiakos operations were transferred to TrainOSE in 2008, reinforcing the separation between network management and train operation. The railway structure continued to change after the 2008 financial crisis. In December 2008, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund became OSE’s sole shareholder. TrainOSE was then prepared for privatisation. After an initial process was suspended in 2015, it restarted in 2016. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane offered 45 million euros, and the sale was completed on 14 September 2017. TrainOSE subsequently became part of the Italian state railway group and later operated under the Hellenic Train name. EESSTY, the rolling-stock maintenance company, was acquired by Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane in 2019. As a result, OSE increasingly focused on railway infrastructure rather than direct passenger or freight operations. OSE’s infrastructure role covers the main Greek corridors, including the Athens–Thessaloniki line, the Thessaloniki–Idomeni border route, the Athens–airport connection, the Athens–Corinth–Kiato corridor and lines in the Peloponnese and central Greece. The network has included standard-gauge, metre-gauge and mixed-gauge sections, with electrification concentrated on the principal modernised routes. The 2023 Tempi train disaster brought national and international attention to railway safety and the condition of Greece’s railway management systems. Later that year, Storm Daniel caused a separate large-scale infrastructure emergency in Thessaly. Approximately 50 kilometres of track were reported destroyed, and repair costs were estimated in the tens of millions of euros. Services between Larissa and Rapsani resumed in November 2023, while Athens–Thessaloniki through services restarted in December. Other sections remained out of service pending reconstruction. In 2024 and 2025, the government pursued structural consolidation. A plan announced in December 2024 would merge ERGOSE back into OSE, combining project management with infrastructure and railway-asset functions. In 2025, Deutsche Bahn agreed to provide operational and technical assistance. Later in 2025, the government confirmed plans for a new Greek Railways body intended to assume responsibilities previously split between OSE, ERGOSE and GAIAOSE. Whether OSE would continue as a distinct legal entity after that reform was not established in the supplied material.

1. 2025Greek Railways restructuring announced

   The government announced a new body intended to consolidate railway infrastructure, modernisation, asset and rolling-stock responsibilities.

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2. 2023Thessaly flooding damaged the railway network

   Storm Daniel caused extensive damage to tracks, signalling and safety equipment, leading to prolonged service suspensions.

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3. 2017TrainOSE privatisation completed

   Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane completed its acquisition of TrainOSE after offering 45 million euros.

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4. 2005TrainOSE created

   TrainOSE was established within OSE to focus on train services and passenger interaction.

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5. 2001GAIAOSE established

   GAIAOSE assumed responsibility for railway property, stations, bridges and related assets.

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6. 1999First Thessaloniki–Idomeni electrified section opened

   The first electrified section of the route opened with 25 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead power.

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7. 1996ERGOSE created

   ERGOSE was formed to facilitate major railway infrastructure projects.

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8. 1971OSE established

   The Hellenic Railways Organisation was created on 1 January under Legislative Decree 674/1970 as successor to the Hellenic State Railways.

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A national railway infrastructure institution rather than a conventional passenger-facing rail brand. OSE’s strategic role is to preserve, maintain, modernise and coordinate Greece’s railway network while enabling separate passenger and freight operators to use the infrastructure.

• National railway infrastructureRailway infrastructure1971

  OSE’s principal offering is access to and stewardship of Greece’s national railway infrastructure. This includes major corridors, branch lines, track, signalling, electrification systems, stations, bridges, depots and related railway facilities. The organisation does not generally sell passenger journeys as a consumer-facing railway operator; instead, it enables separate passenger and freight companies to operate services over the network.

• Railway asset and property managementAsset management2001

  Through the wider OSE structure and associated entities, railway assets have included stations, bridges, buildings, land, rolling-stock facilities and other property. These functions have included maintenance, leasing and disposal of railway-related assets and have been subject to repeated institutional reorganisation.

• Railway infrastructure modernisationInfrastructure development1996

  OSE and associated project bodies have supported electrification, corridor upgrades, signalling improvements, station works and reconstruction after natural disasters. ERGOSE historically handled many major project-delivery functions, especially projects co-funded by the European Union.

• 2025Deutsche Bahn technical cooperationStrategy

  Greece sought external railway expertise after persistent safety, reliability and infrastructure-management concerns.

  What changed. Deutsche Bahn agreed to provide specialists, engineering support, operational guidance and staff training.

  Aftermath. The cooperation was intended to support the modernisation and safer operation of the Greek railway system.

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• 2024Planned reintegration of ERGOSEStrategy

  The government sought to reduce fragmentation in the administration of railway infrastructure projects and assets.

  What changed. A plan was announced to merge ERGOSE back into OSE, combining project-management responsibilities with infrastructure and asset functions.

  Aftermath. The plan formed part of a broader restructuring later associated with the proposed Greek Railways body.

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• 2023Thessaly railway reconstructionOther

  Storm Daniel destroyed or damaged substantial sections of railway infrastructure in Thessaly, disrupting regional and intercity services.

  What changed. OSE engineers inspected damaged areas, prepared technical assessments and supported efforts to secure reconstruction assistance. Partial services resumed in November and December 2023.

  Aftermath. Some routes remained suspended, including the Larissa–Volos connection, while repairs continued.

  Estimated repair cost. 35–45 million euros, with a higher estimate of approximately 50 million euros also cited (2023)

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• 2017TrainOSE sold to Ferrovie dello Stato ItalianeM&A

  Greece pursued the privatisation of its passenger railway operator as part of a broader railway-sector restructuring and asset-disposal programme.

  What changed. The privatisation agency accepted Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane’s 45 million euro binding offer, and the transaction was completed on 14 September 2017.

  Aftermath. TrainOSE became part of the Italian state railway group and later operated under the Hellenic Train brand, while OSE retained its central infrastructure role.

  Acquisition offer. 45 million euros (2016 offer; completed 2017)

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• 2023Tempi railway disaster and safety scrutinyControversy

  The February 2023 head-on collision at Tempi exposed serious concerns about railway safety, signalling, infrastructure management and institutional accountability in Greece. The disaster led to intense public and political scrutiny and contributed directly to later proposals for reorganising the national railway system.

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• 2025Greek government planned consolidation of railway bodies

  The government announced the creation of Greek Railways to consolidate infrastructure, modernisation, asset and rolling-stock functions previously distributed among OSE, ERGOSE and GAIAOSE.

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• 2025Deutsche Bahn agreed to support Greek railway modernisation

  Deutsche Bahn was engaged to provide technical expertise, operational advice, engineering support and staff training as Greece sought to improve railway safety and system performance.

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• 2023Storm Daniel severely damaged railway infrastructure in Thessaly

  Flooding caused by Storm Daniel destroyed or damaged major sections of track, signalling systems and European Train Control System equipment in Thessaly. OSE engineers assessed the affected areas and prepared reconstruction requirements. Some services resumed later in the year, while the Larissa–Volos route remained suspended.

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1. Hellenic Railways Organisation