Greek industrial railways
| Line length | 22 km |
|---|---|
| Track gauge | 1000 mm |
| Track gauge | 900 mm |
|---|
A number of private industrial railway lines were constructed in Greece for exclusive use by major mining operations and by extensive industrial facilities. There were also a few temporary lines, used for the construction of major public works. Most of them were either meter gauge or 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) narrow gauge.
The railway network of Aliveri power station was relatively extensive. It was used to transport lignite (brown coal) from nearby mines to the power station, which was located near the sea, so that it could use sea water for cooling.
The Aliveri metre gauge network (1958) was built by the Public Power Corporation on the site of a smaller 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) network and was extended to new areas, having a total length of 22 km. It was used to carry lignite from the underground coal mines, which were located inland, to the electric power station. It was also used to carry ash, which was dumped in the mining area. The trains were initially hauled by five Jung steam locomotives, which were replaced by four Nippon Saryo and one Diema diesel locomotives around 1980. An Orenstein & Koppel diesel locomotive (1958) was used as a shunter in the steel construction department of the station. The network was in regular operation until 1988, when the power station was converted to burn heavy fuel oil and the mines were closed down.
In addition to the metre gauge network, within the mines area lignite was carried by a 600 mm (1 ft 11 5⁄8 in) (Decauville system) railway system. This small mining railway was electrified and used three AEG EL5 and three AEG EL6 locomotives. It was abandoned in 1970, when the tunnels flooded and mining started on lignite deposits near the surface.
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