Misplaced Pages

Friendship Express
Dostluk Ekspresi
Εξπρές Φιλίας

OSE 220-027 pulls the westbound train near Filadelphia, Greece, consisting of all-Turkish equipment.
Overview
Service type	InterCity
Status	Discontinued
Locale	European Turkey, northern Greece
First service	July 2005 (2005-07)
Last service	February 2011 (2011-03)
Current operator(s)	TCDD, TrainOSE
Route
Termini	Sirkeci Terminal, Istanbul Thessaloniki railway station, Thessaloniki
Stops	10
Average journey time	13h03' (westbound), 12h19' (eastbound)
Service frequency	Daily each way
Train number(s)	444/445, 81021/81022
Line(s) used	Istanbul–Pythio railway, Alexandroupoli–Svilengrad railway, Thessaloniki–Alexandroupoli railway
On-board services
Sleeping arrangements	5 TCDD Sleepers, 3 OSE Sleepers
Catering facilities	yes
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	Istanbul to Pehlivankoy
Track owner(s)	OSE Thessaloniki–Pythion, TCDD Istanbul–Hudut
Route map Legend Travel time (h:mm) 0:00 Istanbul Sirkeci Alpullu Pehlivanköy 4:05 Uzunköprü Turkey Greece border 5:18 Pythio 7:39 Alexandroupoli 8:38 Komotini 9:10 Xanthi 10:26 Drama 11:18 Serres Rodopolis 12:39 Kilkis 13:03 Thessaloniki This diagram: view talk edit

The Friendship Express (Turkish: Dostluk Ekspresi, Greek: Εξπρές Φιλίας, Exprés Filías), was an international InterCity train jointly operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and TrainOSE from July 2005 to February 2011, linking Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal, Turkey and Thessaloniki, Greece. Eastbound trains (service 444/81021) departed daily at 19:48 from Thessaloniki arriving to Istanbul at 08:07. Westbound trains (service 81022/445) departed at 20:30 from Istanbul, arriving to Thessaloniki at 09:33.

There were two trains on this service, one provided by TrainOSE and the other by TCDD. TrainOSE used OSE former SNCF type T2 sleeping cars while TCDD used TVS2000 type cars. The trains changed locomotives and crew at Pythio.

This train service was terminated on 13 February 2011. This is due to cost cutting by Greek state-owned company TrainOSE.

On 8 March 2016 Greece and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement for reconnecting the line Istanbul to Thessaloniki with an enhancement to Igoumenitsa (a town facing towards Italy) with the goal to create the Egnatia Railway As of late 2024, the Friendship Express was still not running.

See also

• Budapest–Belgrade–Skopje–Athens railway
• Balkan Express (train)
• Bosphorus Express

References

1. "Dostluk/Filia Express Train Timetable". Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
2. "02/13/2011 (inclusive) From the date of DOSTLUK/FILIA EXPRESS trains will be canceled until further notice". TCDD. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
3. "Greece severs international links". International Railway Journal. March 2011.
4. "Επιταχύνονται οι διαδικασίες για την ακτοπλοϊκή σύνδεση των λιμανιών Θεσσαλονίκης και Σμύρνης. Οι δηλώσεις των δύο πρωθυπουργών" [The procedures for the ferry connection of the ports of Thessaloniki and Izmir are accelerated. The statements of the two prime ministers] (in Greek). 8 March 2016.

• Named passenger trains of Turkey
• Named passenger trains of Greece
• International named passenger trains