Aspropyrgos: fire cut the suburban railway

A fire that broke out on the morning of Tuesday 18 August 2026 near the railway lines in Aspropyrgos led to the suspension of rail traffic in western Attica. According to the update from Hellenic Train, which was based on information from the infrastructure manager OSE – Hellenic Railways, traffic on the Nea Peramos – Ano Liosia section was suspended from 07:55. At the same time the power supply was cut on the Loutropyrgos – Ano Liosia section, a measure always taken when fire crews are working close to high-voltage overhead lines, so as to rule out any risk of electrocution for the crews and for passengers who might need to be evacuated from trains. Passengers were informed through the company’s electronic channels and station announcements, as the suspension came with many services already under way.

Two trains were halted during the incident. The train on service 1304, heading from Piraeus to Kiato, remained at Ano Liosia station, while the train on service 1305, from Kiato to Piraeus, remained at Nea Peramos station. The company arranged buses to carry the passengers and to substitute for parts of the routes, so that travellers would not be stranded at intermediate stations. Athens suburban railway services were affected, with delays and alterations that continued even after the suspension was lifted. Replacement by bus on this section is time-consuming, since the route runs over a road network with heavy traffic in the morning hours.

The timing of the incident weighed particularly heavily on passengers: the morning hours see the heaviest flow of commuters towards Athens, while August also brings journeys towards the ports. The suburban railway axis towards Kiato crosses western Attica through a zone with extensive stretches of dry grass and industrial installations, where fires along the railway line recur almost every summer. Clearing the strip on either side of the tracks is an obligation of the infrastructure manager and an issue that has been raised repeatedly by local bodies. The railway lines also pass through areas with storage facilities and logistics installations, which increases the seriousness of any fire breaking out in the zone.

At 13:42 the same day a gradual return to normal traffic and services was announced. Restoration in such cases takes place in stages: first the condition of the track and the signalling installations is checked, then the power supply is restored, and finally services run at reduced speed until safety is confirmed. No injuries or damage to rolling stock were reported. The Fire Service had not announced the cause of the fire. Western Attica has recorded a series of incidents this year, among them shooting incidents in Neoktista that occupied the authorities. In comparable cases Hellenic Train announces the option of a refund or ticket change for services that were cancelled or altered.

Update 16:00: according to a Hellenic Train announcement based on information from OSE, traffic on the Nea Peramos – Ano Liosia section and electric traction on the Loutropyrgos – Ano Liosia section were restored at 12:13 on Tuesday 18 August 2026, with a gradual return to normal suburban railway services. The suspension had begun at 07:55 because of the fire near the line at Aspropyrgos, meaning it lasted more than four hours. Service 1304, from Piraeus to Kiato, remained at Ano Liosia, and service 1305, from Kiato to Piraeus, at Nea Peramos; the company provided buses to carry the passengers of both trains.