Santa Train Returns to Kalamata After 15 Years — Historic Arrival at the Railway Station

After more than 15 years without any train activity, the Kalamata Railway Station came back to life on December 31, 2025. A special holiday train — carrying Santa Claus and his elves — arrived at 12.00 noon, offering gifts to children and bringing festive joy to the city.

The event was co-organized by the Municipality of Kalamata, the Municipal Enterprise “FARIS,” the Messinia Railway Friends Association, PolisArt Social Cooperative, OSE, and Hellenic Train. This symbolic journey marked the first train movement in Kalamata since the station’s closure in 2010.

A historic moment for Peloponnese railways — and a magical day for families, railfans, and the local community.

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🚂 Narrow‑Gauge Peloponnese Railway — Key Details
The Peloponnese railway system was built as a metre‑gauge network (1,000 mm), one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
It was originally operated by SPAP (Piraeus–Athens–Peloponnese Railways), founded in 1882.
Total network length reached 750 km, connecting Piraeus, Athens, Corinth, Tripoli, Kalamata, Patras, Pyrgos, and Kyparissia.

🚉 Kalamata’s Role in the Network
Kalamata Railway Station opened in 1892 as part of the SPAP expansion into Messenia.
Until its closure in 2010, Kalamata was a major hub for:
Regional services to Pyrgos, Olympia, Katakolo, Kyparissia
Suburban services to Messini and the General Hospital

The station is currently disused, except for excursion and special‑event trains, such as the Santa Train on 31/12/2025.
The old “Kalamata Limin” station (near the port) now houses an open‑air railway park with preserved rolling stock.

The Peloponnese metre‑gauge system is historically unique — no electrification, tight curves, steep gradients, and classic stone stations.
It represents the last major metre‑gauge network in Europe still largely intact, though inactive.

🚆 About Train OSE 6652 MAN‑1 diesel railcar unit used in Peloponnese narrow-gauge services. MAN‑1 units were built by MAN / Esslingen for the Greek metre‑gauge network and were widely used in the Peloponnese from the 1960s onward.

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