Thessaly Railways The first station to open in Larissa was built by
Thessaly Railways, and opened on 22 April 1884 as the northern terminus of the
Thessaly Railways line to Volos, on . The original station building (and the line) was designed by the
Italian Evaristo de Chirico, (father of
Giorgio de Chirico). The stations all followed a simmer design, built of hewn, jointed stone, which gave the appearance of a mosaic, all the other stations along this network, small and large, had this form. Larissa station (known locally as Larisaikos) soon after the liberation of
Central Greece from the
Ottomans. In March 1889, the government of
Charilaos Trikoupis ordered the construction of The "Piraeus-Demerli-Border Railway" and a second station was built to . In 1908 the train arrived in Larissa and the (then) border of Greece. The first passenger train between Athens and Thessaloniki was launched in March 1918, and the first international train, a branch of the "
Simplon Orient Express", arrived in Athens in June 1920.
Nationalisation In 1955
Thessaly Railways, faced with huge financial obligations, was absorbed into
Hellenic State Railways (SEK). In 1960 the line from
Larissa to Volos was converted to standard gauge and connected through Larissa to the mainline from Athens to Thessaloniki, allowing through services to Volos from Athens and Thessaloniki. The new railway station was inaugurated on 26 August 1962 It was reported
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, then Deputy Prime Minister made the official inauguration. In 2003, OSE launched "Proastiakos SA", as a subsidiary to serve the operation of the suburban network in the urban complex of Athens during the
2004 Olympic Games. In 2005, TrainOSE was created as a brand within OSE to concentrate on rail services and passenger interface. In 2005 part of the station building was given over to a museum. Housed in auxiliary buildings of the main station building, it houses railway Paraphernalia from
Thessaly Railways and the 1930s and is run by the Association of Friends of the Larissa Railway (S.F.S.L.). In 2008, all Proastiakos were transferred from OSE to TrainOSE. In 2009, with the
Greek debt crisis unfolding
OSE's Management was forced to reduce services across the network. Timetables were cut back, and routes closed as the government-run entity attempted to reduce overheads. In 2011 it was reported that the Greek government was looking at divestiture of certain high-profile assets of OSE, namely a number of the larger terminal stations, most notably Athens, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Volos and also Larissa. In January 2017, heavy snowfall forced many trains services to be suspended. In 2017
OSE's passenger transport sector was privatised as TrainOSE, (Now
Hellenic Train) a wholly owned subsidiary of Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane. Infrastructure, including stations, remained under the control of OSE. In 2018 a new coffee shop opened within the station. In 2019 the station received negative publicity after it was reported the high levels of rubbish left in and around the station. The issue stemmed for one of finally responsibility for cleaning and maintaining the station forecourt. In October 2019, the station played host to a Training Seminar
The train goes… school… and protects the environment, health and culture. The event was organised via the Directorates of Primary Education of Larissa and Magnesia (through the Responsible School Activities and in collaboration with the Regional Center for Educational Planning (PEKES) of PDE Thessaly, Coordination of Sustainability of Thessaly and
OSE). In May 2022,
INTRAKAT was given the go-ahead for the €82.890.000 electrification and signalling upgrades of the Larissa–Volos line, due for completion in 2025. In July 2022, the station began being served by
Hellenic Train, the rebranded TranOSE On 18 September, services were again suspended due to the loss of electricity in the wider Larissa aria, with services resuming the following day. On the 5 September 2023,
Storm Daniel triggered largescale flooding in Thessaly. The rail infrastructure was badly affected in the region, cutting off both Regional and Intercity routes as significant parts of the infrastructure were washed away. OSE engineers were on the ground in the worst affected areas Domokos, Doxaras, and Paleofarsalos to assess the extent of the damage, and prepare detailed reports, and seek financial assistance from the
European Union. Repairing the extensive damage, was estimated at between 35 and 45 million euros. With Through services from Athens to Thessaloniki recommencing on 16 December 2023. However services between Larissa and Volos remain suspended across Thessaly’s coast until the track is repaired, with a
rail-replacement bus in operation. == Facilities ==