30-minute storm brings Athens suburban rail and tram to a halt, partial restoration by 20:06
A 30-minute summer downpour on 24 July caused power outages that stopped all Athens Suburban Railway services and damaged a tram line in Piraeus after scaffolding collapsed onto overhead wires.
Storm hits Attica
A sudden summer storm swept across the Attica region on the afternoon of 24 July 2026, unleashing heavy rainfall and hundreds of lightning strikes in a concentrated 30-minute burst. The severe weather immediately disrupted power supply to critical transport infrastructure. Hellenic Train, the operator of the Athens Suburban Railway (Proastiakos), announced that all rail traffic and electrification on the network had been interrupted due to weather-induced power problems. The downpour, though brief, was intense enough to paralyse the city's public transport.
Due to power supply problems caused by the severe weather, rail traffic and power supply have been interrupted on the Athens Suburban Railway network.
Proastiakos network paralysed
The Proastiakos, which connects central Athens with its suburbs and the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, ground to a complete halt. Every route was affected, with passengers facing widespread delays, cancellations, and route modifications. The operator said it was in constant coordination with the infrastructure manager OSE (Hellenic Railways Organisation) to restore services. The outage struck during the late afternoon, a peak period for commuter traffic, though no official passenger figures were released. The disruption left many travellers stranded, particularly those heading to or from the airport.
Tram line severed by scaffolding collapse
In Piraeus, the storm triggered a separate incident when scaffolding from a multi-storey building on Grigoriou Lambraki street collapsed onto the overhead power line of the tram network. The impact caused extensive damage to the electrification system, forcing an immediate suspension of tram services in the area. Tram line 7, which normally runs from Piraeus to Voula, was subsequently operated only on the truncated section between Asklepieio Voulas and the SEF (Stadium of Peace and Friendship), leaving the Piraeus end without service. The scaffolding collapse was directly attributed to the severe weather conditions.
Partial restoration at 20:06
Efforts to bring the network back online yielded a first result at 20:06 local time, when OSE announced that power supply and rail traffic had been restored on the Ano Liosia–Airport–Ano Liosia section. This restored the critical airport link, but other parts of the Proastiakos remained affected. Hellenic Train warned that delays would continue as work to fully normalise the network proceeded. The company said it was in continuous communication with OSE to resolve the remaining issues.
At 20:06, power supply and rail traffic were restored on the Ano Liosia - Airport - Ano Liosia section.
- 30-minute storm with heavy rain and hundreds of lightning strikes hits Attica.
- All Athens Suburban Railway services suspended due to power supply problems.
- Scaffolding collapses on tram overhead line in Piraeus, damaging line 7.
- Power and rail traffic restored on Ano Liosia–Airport section.
- Other Proastiakos sections still disrupted; delays continue into the evening.
Ongoing recovery and no injuries
As of the latest updates, Hellenic Train remained in close contact with OSE to complete the restoration of the suburban railway. No injuries were reported from either the power outages or the scaffolding collapse. The incident highlighted how even a brief summer downpour can paralyse Athens' rail infrastructure, with a 30-minute storm sufficient to halt key transit lines and damage overhead wires. Commuters were advised to expect residual delays into the evening.
