Greece’s historic railway network faces a major setback as authorities plan to convert Peloponnese tracks into cycling paths and sell the OSE headquarters, sparking controversy over the future of national rail infrastructure

Local communities and railway groups denounce the government’s plan to dismantle the Peloponnese rail-line built in 1882 and recently renovated with EU funds, to create a cycling route, calling it a waste of resources and a blow to regional development

Founded in 1884, the Peloponnese line is Europe’s longest meter-gauge railway network. Services stopped in 2011 as a result of Greece’s debt crisis.