17. Velestino

Velestino (inaugurated on April 23, 1884) was a hub in the railway network of Thessaly with links to Larissa and Kalambaka. It was a period of rapid growth for the town with the establishment of the first flour mill and pasta factory. There were four daily trains on the Volos-Larissa line (two per direction) and two trains on the Velestino-Kalambaka line (one each way). The trains carried both passengers and freight. Travel time to Larissa was two and a half hours and to Kalambaka six and a half hours, but the addition or removal of freight wagons caused frequent delays. The company added more services during local festivals, fairs, sporting events or the hunting and summer season. These were known as the “hunters’ train,” “the pleasure train” etc. In 1930 the Velestino station was declared the most beautiful in Thessaly by the Greek National Tourism Organization that was originally founded in 1929.