The railway from Thessaloniki to Bitola is a 219-kilometre long railway line, that connects the port city Thessaloniki in Greece with Bitola in the Republic of Macedonia, via Veroia, Edessa, Amyntaio and Florina. The line was opened in 1894, when the area was part of the Ottoman Empire.[2] The part between the Greek/Macedonian border and Bitola is not used anymore, and as of 2013 there is passenger service on the section between Thessaloniki and Florina. The easternmost section of the line, Platy–Thessaloniki, is part of the important connection towards Athens and southern Greece.
Course
The eastern terminus of the Thessaloniki–Bitola railway is the New Railway Station, Thessaloniki. Leaving the Athens–Thessaloniki mainline at Platy, it runs alongside the Aliakmon River, through Alexandreia and then passes through to Veroia, Naousa, and Skydra, before climbing to Edessa and then, along the northern shore of Lake Vegoritida, reaching Amyntaio. At Amyntaio the Kozani–Amyntaio railway branches off towards Kozani, serving Ptolemaida and the power stations of the national power company ΔΕΗ. The main line continues towards the city of Florina. At Neos Kafkasos, the international border is crossed, and after 219 km the city of Bitola in the Republic of Macedonia is reached. This short international connection is now disused, with all international traffic being routed via Eidomeni and Gevgelija.
Main stations
The main stations on the Thessaloniki–Bitola railway are:
Services
The Thessaloniki–Bitola railway is used by the following passenger services:
- Intercity, Express and Regular services Athens–Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki–Kalampaka[3]
- Local services Thessaloniki–Florina and Thessaloniki–Larissa[3]
References
External links
