The Old Railway Station - Krioneri. Western Greece

"Oh, it's just an old railway station", l was told, some years ago, when I asked about a dilapidated building barely visible from the road through trees, long grasses, and undergrowth.
It turned out to be a rather dismissive comment for something that was once part of a wonderful service for many, many thousands of people.
Arriving into the small port of Krioneri, on the northern shores of the Gulf of Patras, a visitor might notice the single-track railway line that curves around the port ending just before the harbour itself.... or maybe not?
These days it's almost buried into the asphalt that was laid in 1990. From the harbour this long disused single track disappears into long grass and a wooded area almost vanishing without a trace.

The railway once connected Agrino to Messolonghi, a distance of about 60 kilometres, and then continue on to Krioneri where a ferry service would cross the narrow sea passage to Patras.
The train service was for both commercial and passenger purposes. Local seasonal products were shipped south by rail and, from the port of Patras, could reach the rest of Greece and also be exported to other countries. The main network was completed within two years followed by the extension to Krioneri.
In fact, by 1891, the Krioneri - Agrinio railway line operated with a steam train with stations starting at the port of Krioneri to include Galatas, Evinochori, Messolonghi, Alykes, Aitoliko, Stamna, Angelokastro, Dokimi and, finally, Agrinio.
The whole journey time lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes, with an average speed of 15 mph (24 km/hour).
Krioneri became the connecting hub for this wonderful train service. The harbour and ferry boat were specially adapted to accommodate the goods wagons which were transported directly onto the ferry to save offloading and loading times. A single locomotive with up to ten wagons could be loaded at any one time.

Farmers, producers and small manufacturers all benefitted from the service. It opened up a whole new world of transportation and connection for thousands of citizens who could now travel and visit friends and family across the region. Local business flourished as merchants and farmers traded their goods of rice, beans, lentils, maize, salt, and tobacco.

At this time, of course, the Rio-Antirrio suspension bridge didn't exist nor was there even a main road beyond Krioneri.
Sadly this whole fantastic service came to a halt in February 1970 when the line was disbanded. And thus ended an era of train travel that had served the country so well for over 80 years.
These days there is a four lane motorway, along with the main national road, that connects the towns and cities. Most of Greece’s motorway network was completed in 2017 at a cost of over €13 billion Euro. The motorway tolls are amongst the highest in Europe and the overall construction costs have only added to the country's already burgeoning debt.

#Krioneri #CaptainDelMare #train #steamtrain #OldGreekRailways #Messolonghi #agrinio
#greece

[kqrkcfx]

maybe 1000 or 2000 years from now, when the tracks buried under mud & thick forest, somebody will use lidar to uncover it & feel the joy of ancient civ