The first proposal for the connection of Piraeus with Athens with a railway line was submitted in 1835. The limited financial capacity of the newly formed Greek kingdom did not allow for its implementation. In 1867 the government signed an agreement with the British entrepreneur Edward Pickering for the construction of the line. The railway opened on February 27, 1869. Thissio station was the first railway station in Greece. The failure to identify a site in downtown Athens for the construction of a proper central station meant that this humble single-storey timber structure would be the terminal. The train’s maiden voyage lasted 15 minutes. Queen Olga and members of the government boarded the first carriage, while large crowds crammed in the remaining nine wagons. The company ran eight trains in each direction, with an additional train on Sunday and Monday. In May 1895, the line was extended to Omonia and Thissio ceased to be the terminal.