Edessa railway station

Έδεσσα Edessa
Vodena (today Edessa) station in 1899
General information
Location	Leoforos Nikis, Edessa Pella Greece
Coordinates	40°48′32″N 22°03′06″E
Elevation	320 metres (1,050 ft)
Owned by	GAIAOSE
Line(s)	Thessaloniki–Bitola railway
Distance	77 kilometres (48 mi) from Thessaloniki
Platforms	3 (1 non-regular use)
Tracks	3
Train operators	Hellenic Train
Connections
Construction
Structure type	at-grade
Platform levels	1
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	No
Accessible
Other information
Website	http://www.ose.gr/en/
History
Opened	1894
Electrified	No
Previous names	Vodena (before 1926)
Original company	Société du Chemin de Fer ottoman Salonique-Monastir
Services
Preceding station Proastiakos Following station Skydra towards Thessaloniki Line 2 Arnissa towards Florina Preceding station Hellenic Train Following station Skydra towards Thessaloniki Line 2 Arnissa towards Florina
Location Edessa Location within Greece

The Edessa railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός Εδέσσης, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Edéssis) is the railway station of Edessa in Central Macedonia, Greece. The station is located north of the city on the Thessaloniki–Bitola railway, and is severed by both Local and Thessaloniki Suburban Services. The station lies some 77 kilometres (48 mi) from Thessaloniki.

History

Crowds celebrating the liberation of Edessa in 1912

Opened in June 1894 as Vodena railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός Βοδενά, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Vodena) in what was then the Ottoman Empire at the completion of the Société du Chemin de Fer ottoman Salonique-Monastir, a branchline of the Chemins de fer Orientaux from Thessaloniki to Bitola. During this period Northern Greece and the southern Balkans where still under Ottoman rule, and Edessa was known as Vodena. Edessa was annexed by Greece on 18 October 1912 during the First Balkan War. On 17 October 1925 The Greek government purchased the Greek sections of the former Salonica Monastir railway and the railway became part of the Hellenic State Railways, with the remaining section north of Florina seeded to Yugoslavia. In 1926 the station along with the settlement was renamed Edessa. In 1970 OSE became the legal successor to the SEK, taking over responsibilities for most of Greece's rail infrastructure. On 1 January 1971 the station, and most of Greek rail infrastructure where transferred to the Hellenic Railways Organisation S.A., a state-owned corporation. Freight traffic declined sharply when the state-imposed monopoly of OSE for the transport of agricultural products and fertilisers ended in the early 1990s. Many small stations of the network with little passenger traffic were closed down.

In 2001 the infrastructure element of OSE was created, known as GAIAOSE, it would henceforth be responsible for the maintenance, of stations, bridges and other elements of the network, as well as the leasing and the sale of railway assists. In 2003, OSE launched "Proastiakos SA", as a subsidiary to serve the operation of the suburban network in the urban complex of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2005, TrainOSE was created as a brand within OSE to concentrate on rail services and passenger interface.

Since 2007, the station is served by the Proastiakos Thessaloniki services to New Railway Station. In 2008, all Proastiakos were transferred from OSE to TrainOSE. In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. In August 2013, Proastiakos services where extended to Florina. In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. In July 2022, the station began being served by Hellenic Train, the rebranded TranOSE.

Facilities

The station is still housed in the original brick-built station building. As of (2021) The station is staffed with a working ticket office. The station currently has three platforms; however, only two are currently in use. There are waiting rooms on platform one and waiting shelters on 2. Access to the platforms is via crossing the lines; however not wheelchair accessible. The platforms have shelters with seating; however, there are no Dot-matrix display departure and arrival screens or timetable poster boards on the platforms. There is also Parking in the forecourt.

Services

As of 2020, the station is served on a daily basis by three Regional trains between Thessaloniki and Florina and 18 Suburban Services terminating this station. There are no Services to Bitola as the short international connection is now disused, with all international traffic being routed via Idomeni and Gevgelija.

Currently there is a rail-replacement bus between Florina and Edessa.

Station layout

L Ground/Concourse	Customer service	Tickets/Exits
Level Ε1
	Side platform, doors on the right
	Platform 1	Π2 towards Thessaloniki (Skydra) ←
	Island platform, doors on the right
	Platform 2	Π2 towards Florina (Arnissa) →
	Island platform, doors on the right
	Platform 3	→ Non-regular use