By F. Zois
Less than 24 hours after the conclusion of a deal to sell-off the state-run rail operator (Trainose) to Italy's largest rail company (FS) comes an announcement by the railroad-affiliated real estate holding company in Greece to acquire a transport license.
Officials from Gaiose on Friday referred to an "alternative solution", while saying the intent is not to compete with the Ferrovie dello Stato-led Trainose but to retain a rail license by the Greek state. In the same breath, the same officials said numerous rolling stock remains in the state's inventory.
Trainose is the dominant rail provider in Greece, both in terms of cargo and passengers, and on both domestic and foreign routes, albeit negligible by west European levels.
In 2015 Trainose transported 16 million passengers, recording 130 million euros in revenues, and leaving 2.7 million euros in profits. The results overturned years, if not decades, of annual losses. Trainose has 670 people on the payroll; 1,160 leased coaches and locomotives, with 300 cars used on a daily basis on average. The main route is the north-south Athens to Thessaloniki stretch.
