Katakolo railway station

Katakolo railway station (Greek: Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Κατακόλου, romanized: Sidirodromikós stathmós Katakolo) is a railway station that serves the town of Katakolo, Elis in Western Greece, Greece. Located in the centre of Katakolo, close to the harbour and ferry port, the station was opened in 1882 by the Pyrgos-Katakolo Railway Company (SPK), (now part of OSE). Today TrainOSE operates 3 scheduled daily Regional trains^[3] to Olympia, via Pyrgos.^[4][5] The station is unstaffed^[6] however there are waiting rooms available. It was the most western active station on the OSE network.

The station opened in 1882 when the Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways (S.P.A.P.) line was opened. In 1951 the S.P.A.P. absorbed the Line. In 1953 the S.P.A.P. itself was absorbed into the Northwestern Greece Railways (SDBE). In 1962 the station became part of the Hellenic State Railways (SEK). In 1970 OSE became the legal successor to the SEK, taking over responsibilities for most of Greece's rail infrastructure^[7] taking over responsibilities for most for Greece's rail infrastructure. On 1 January 1971, the station and most of the Greek rail infrastructure were 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.^[8] In 2005, TrainOSE was created as a brand within OSE to concentrate on rail services and passenger interface. Between 2007 and 2009, the entire rails and cog sections were completely replaced, and four new modern trains were constructed to replace the former carriages.^[9] In 2009, with the Greek debt crisis unfolding OSE's Management, was forced to reduce services across the network.^[10] Timetables were cutback and routes closed, as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. In 2017 OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane^[11] infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. In 2017 the station was refurbished.

In August 2025, the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport confirmed the creation of a new body, Greek Railways (Greek: Σιδηρόδρομοι Ελλάδος, romanized: Ellinikí Sidiródromi Monoprósopi)^[12] to assume responsibility for rail infrastructure, planning, modernisation projects, and rolling stock across Greece. Previously, these functions were divided among several state-owned entities: OSE, which managed infrastructure; ERGOSÉ, responsible for modernisation projects; and GAIAOSÉ, which owned stations, buildings, and rolling stock. OSE had overseen both infrastructure and operations until its vertical separation in 2005.^[13] Rail safety has been identified as a key priority.^[14] The merger follows the July approval of a Parliamentary Bill to restructure the national railway system, a direct response to the Tempi accident of February 2023, in which 43 people died after a head-on collision.^[15]

The station is only equipped with a large bus ‘like’ shelter on a single short disused side platform, with an Island platform straddling the two tracks, with no digital display screens or timetable poster boards. The station has no toilet facilities; as a result, the station is currently little more than an unstaffed halt. However, infrequent buses do call at the station, and there is a large car park next to the station.

As of 2020, the station is only served by three daily pairs of regional trains to Olympia.