Hellenic Train
Greece's principal passenger and freight railway operator.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Hellenic Train S.A., formerly TrainOSE, is a Greek railway operating company that provides passenger and freight services over infrastructure managed by the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE). It employs train crews and operational personnel, organizes much of the scheduled railway service in Greece, and leases most of its rolling stock from GAIAOSE, the state entity responsible for managing Greek railway assets. The company is therefore primarily a train operator rather than the owner of Greece's railway infrastructure. The business developed from an internal railway-service function of OSE. It operated as an OSE subsidiary from 2005 and became an independent state-owned company in 2008. In December 2008, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund became its sole shareholder as part of the restructuring and privatization of Greece's state-owned railway assets. A privatization tender began in 2013, was suspended during a change of government in 2015, and resumed in 2016. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane submitted the only binding offer, while GEK Terna and Russian Railways had expressed interest without submitting final offers. The Italian group offered €45 million, an offer accepted by the privatization agency in July 2016. The transaction was completed on 14 September 2017, making TrainOSE a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Italiane. In 2022, the company adopted the Hellenic Train name. Its passenger portfolio includes regular stopping services, faster express trains, InterCity services, and Proastiakos suburban rail around Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras. Its principal long-distance corridor is Athens–Thessaloniki, while commuter operations connect Athens and its airport with surrounding areas and provide services in the Thessaloniki region. Hellenic Train also operates domestic freight services, including scheduled and irregular movements between Athens-area logistics facilities and Thessaloniki, as well as other national and international freight operations. The operator has used several generations of rolling stock. Its fleet has included conventional locomotive-hauled trains, diesel multiple units, Siemens Desiro electric multiple units for electrified commuter routes, and five refurbished ETR.470 Pendolino trainsets. The latter entered Athens–Thessaloniki service in 2022 under the Frecciargento-derived InterCity concept. Hellenic Train's services depend heavily on infrastructure availability, electrification, signaling, and rolling-stock leasing arrangements controlled by other public or infrastructure entities. The company became the focus of intense public scrutiny after the 28 February 2023 Tempi rail collision, in which 57 people died when a passenger train operated by Hellenic Train collided with a freight train. The accident exposed broader failures involving railway signaling, traffic management, infrastructure, and state oversight, although Hellenic Train's role was principally as the passenger-service operator. Services were suspended after the crash, partially restored in April 2023, and the Athens–Thessaloniki service was fully restored in December 2023. The company remains Greece's central commercial railway operator, but its performance and reputation are closely tied to the pace of safety, signaling, and network modernization undertaken across the Greek railway system.
History
Hellenic Train originated within Greece's state railway system. Before it became a separate company, passenger and freight railway operations were performed internally by the Hellenic Railways Organisation. The activity became an OSE subsidiary in 2005 and was separated into an independent state-owned company in 2008. The separation was part of a broader effort to reorganize Greek rail transport into distinct infrastructure, asset-management, and operating functions. In December 2008, the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund became the company's sole shareholder. A privatization process launched in July 2013 but was suspended in 2015 and restarted in January 2016. Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane submitted the only binding offer, valued at €45 million; other interested parties did not submit binding final offers. The sale closed on 14 September 2017, after which TrainOSE became wholly owned by FS Italiane. The operator's activities are distinct from those of OSE, which manages the railway infrastructure. Most rolling stock is administered by GAIAOSE and leased to the operator. This structure means that Hellenic Train controls the running of many services and the employment of operational staff, while track construction, signaling, infrastructure maintenance, and much of the fleet-asset administration involve separate entities. TrainOSE was renamed Hellenic Train in 2022. Under the new identity, the company continued to operate regular, express, and InterCity passenger services, Proastiakos suburban rail around Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras, and domestic freight operations. International passenger links to neighboring countries had been suspended in 2011, briefly reintroduced on selected routes in 2014, and suspended again in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. The referenced material states that international passenger connections had not subsequently resumed. The most consequential event in the company's modern history was the Tempi collision of 28 February 2023. A Hellenic Train passenger service traveling from Athens collided with a freight train approaching from Thessaloniki, killing 57 people. The tragedy produced widespread protests and raised questions about signaling, traffic control, infrastructure investment, and institutional accountability. Hellenic Train suspended services after the crash; a limited timetable returned in April, and the Athens–Thessaloniki route was restored in full in December 2023. The operator's public standing remains affected by the disaster, even though responsibility for the railway system is divided among the train operator, infrastructure manager, rolling-stock administrators, and public authorities.
- 2023
Tempi rail disaster
[1]A passenger train operated by Hellenic Train collided with a freight train near Tempi, killing 57 people and causing a prolonged suspension and review of services.
- 2022
Rebrand to Hellenic Train
[1]TrainOSE adopted the Hellenic Train name.
- 2017
Privatization completed
[1]The sale to Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane was completed on 14 September, making TrainOSE an FS Italiane subsidiary.
- 2016
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane offer accepted
[1]The Greek privatization agency accepted FS Italiane's €45 million binding offer for TrainOSE.
- 2008
TrainOSE becomes an independent state-owned company
[1]TrainOSE was separated from OSE as an independent company while remaining under Greek state ownership.
- 2005
TrainOSE operates as an OSE subsidiary
[1]The railway service activity was organized as a subsidiary of the Hellenic Railways Organisation after previously operating as an internal OSE function.
Products and positioning
Greece's principal commercial railway operator, serving long-distance, regional, suburban, and freight markets within the national rail network.
Regional rail
Regular passenger trains
The regular or common train category provides the most economical passenger service and makes frequent stops. It serves regional travel where lower fares and broad station coverage are prioritized over speed.
Intercity and regional rail
Express trains
Express services make fewer stops than regular trains and provide faster travel on routes where both stopping and higher-speed services operate. Long-distance trains may offer reserved seating and onboard catering.
Long-distance passenger rail
InterCity
InterCity services form Hellenic Train's principal long-distance offering, especially on the Athens–Thessaloniki corridor. They are positioned as the fastest and generally most expensive domestic rail option, with reserved seating and, on relevant services, bar or restaurant facilities.
Commuter rail · 2004
Proastiakos
Proastiakos is the brand used for suburban services in the Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras areas. Athens routes connect Piraeus, central Athens, Ano Liosia, Athens International Airport, Corinth, and Kiato, while other services operate around Thessaloniki and Larissa.
Freight rail
Rail freight
Hellenic Train operates scheduled and irregular freight services within Greece, including movements between Athens-area facilities and Thessaloniki. Freight operations support container handling, rail logistics, and other national cargo movements.
Rolling stock and passenger service · 2022
ETR.470 InterCity trains
Five refurbished ETR.470 Pendolino trainsets entered service on the Athens–Thessaloniki route in May 2022. Their deployment was associated with FS Italiane's investment in modernizing long-distance Greek rail service and required technical adaptation for Greek electrification and signaling conditions.
Controversies
2025
Rouvikonas office raid and related proceedings
During protests related to the Tempi disaster, Rouvikonas activists entered Hellenic Train's offices and displayed a banner condemning the company. Hellenic Train brought legal action against the group and participating members; the referenced account states that all defendants were acquitted.
2025
Explosion near Hellenic Train offices
On 11 April 2025, an explosive device near Hellenic Train's offices caused damage to the offices, nearby vehicles, and surrounding buildings. Police secured the area after warning calls were received by Greek media organizations.
2023
Tempi train collision
On 28 February 2023, a Hellenic Train passenger service collided with a freight train near Tempi, killing 57 people. The accident triggered national protests and scrutiny of railway signaling, traffic management, infrastructure investment, and the division of responsibility between the operator and public railway institutions.
Brand decisions
2023
Suspension and staged restoration of services after TempiOtherBackground
The Tempi collision prompted a suspension of railway services and heightened demands for improved safety and signaling.
Action taken
Services were replaced or supplemented by buses during the initial suspension, with limited rail operations resuming in April and full Athens–Thessaloniki services returning in December.
Aftermath
The company resumed operations while signaling and wider railway safety measures continued to attract public and regulatory scrutiny.
2022
Corporate rebrand to Hellenic TrainStrategyBackground
Following its acquisition by FS Italiane, the operator moved toward a brand identity aligned with its Greek market and Italian railway group ownership.
Action taken
TrainOSE was renamed Hellenic Train.
Aftermath
The company continued operating passenger and freight services under the new name.
2017
Sale of TrainOSE to FS ItalianeM&ABackground
Greece pursued the privatization of TrainOSE as part of a wider restructuring of the national railway sector.
Action taken
Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane acquired the company after its €45 million offer was accepted and the transaction was completed in September 2017.
Aftermath
TrainOSE became a wholly owned subsidiary of FS Italiane and later adopted the Hellenic Train brand.
Acquisition price. €45 million (Offer accepted in July 2016; transaction completed in September 2017)
Sources2 sources
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