Greek Rail Services Near Standstill - Advice and Information

Summary: Greek rail services will be affected from 25 - 29 October as a result of strike action by employees of Hellenic Railways (OSE).

Public transport will be disrupted as follows:

• There will be no train services throughout Greece on 25, 26, 27 and 29 October. This includes the Proastiakos Suburban Railway. Refer to the Trainose website for more information about suburban and national railway networks.
• Dozens of scheduled trains services will be cancelled on 28 and 30 October, while Athens Metro services will be suspended between Doukissis Plakentias station and Athens International Airport. Find out more about the Athens Metro schedule here.
• On 25, 26, 27, and 29 October, access to Athens International Airport via public transport will only be possible by bus. Visit the Athens Urban Transport Organisation website to see Athens public transport routes.

FCO advice for passengers in Greece:

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises those heading to Greece to:

• Be aware that strikes are sometimes called at short notice, so keep your travel plans fairly flexible and monitor the local news closely
• Contact your respective travel company for further information prior to travelling
• Get in touch with the British Embassy in Athens
• Register with the LOCATE service so that they can find you in an emergency
• Get the latest travel updates from British nationals abroad on Facebook and @britishabroad on Twitter

Why are railway transport workers striking?

The current wave of strikes are over an infrastructure, transport, and networks ministry bill. The focus of this bill is the reorganisation and development of the OSE, which represents the Hellenic Railways employees.

There is a possibility of further strikes by public sector workers, including air traffic controllers, which could continue to disrupt travel routes and schedules.

Greek Travel Disruption Due To Strikes - Advice and Information

Last Updated: 27 July 2010

Summary: The current strike involving truck drivers, air traffic controllers, and urban electric railway workers in Greece is disrupting the tourism sector and impacting transport services.

What transport services are affected?

Truck Transportation

• Strike Action: Greek truck drivers went on strike indefinitely on Monday, 26 July. 50 or so trucks are currently parked alongside the Athens-Lamia highway. Fuel truck drivers have also joined in the protest action.
• Effects: Parked trucks are causing blocked highways and the interrupted supply of goods throughout Greece. As of 26 July, certain gasoline stations will be closed due to petrol shortages.

Air Traffic

• Strike Action: Air traffic controllers have embarked on a 'work-to-rule' strike. The Greek Air Traffic Controllers Union met on Monday, 26 July, to decide on further action.
• Effects: So far hundreds of flights were delayed on Sunday, 25 July, and more than 40 flights were disrupted on Monday, 26 July. At this time, only departure flights are expected to be affected.

Urban Electric Railway

• Strike Action: Currently the urban electric railway connecting Piraeus Port to Athens and Kifissia is being disturbed by protest action.
• Effects: Buses have been put into action in the interim to assist with the transport of passengers.

FCO advice for travellers in Greece:

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises travellers in Greece to:

• Ensure that they have sufficient petrol to reach their destination, if they are travelling by car
• Contact their respective airline for altered flight schedules, if they are travelling by plane
• Exercise caution around public demonstrations and protests
• Contact the British Embassy in Athens, Greece on (0030) 210 7272 600

How long will the strike action last?

Local authorities warn that regular strikes could continue throughout Greece during the summer months. As it stands, the truck drivers and railway workers are on strike until further notice, while the air traffic controllers will be out of action for the rest of the week. Some parts of the urban electric railway could remain closed until the end of 2010.

Why are transport workers striking?

Truck drivers are striking in opposition to the Greek government's plans to issue new trucking licenses. On the other hand, air traffic controllers are demanding more jobs as well as overtime pay, and railway workers disagree with the agenda to liberalise transportation services.

Strikes in Greece have been underway since February 2010 due to protests against the government's economic reforms. The EU and IMF bailout has involved a 110 billion-euro loan package, which is proving to impact the tourism sector most severely.