Athens Metro Light Rail System, Greece

Athens Metro is formed of an enlarged and upgraded suburban rail route and two much newer lines.

In 1869, a metropolitan railway was built to link Athens and Piraeus, the country's largest port, south-west of the capital. It was later electrified and extended north-east to Kifissia. It was to become designated the Metro Line 1, colour-coded green.

Promoted as a response to intense traffic congestion and related pollution that were becoming an unwelcome part of the city’s identity, construction for the new metro lines, one of Greece’s largest modern civil engineering projects, began in 1991. Metro lines 2 (red) and 3 (blue) opened in January 2000.

THE PROJECT

In an effort to solve its traffic problems, the Greek government turned to the EU for financial help.

A turnkey contract for the construction was awarded in 1991 to the Olympic Metro Consortium, whose members include 23 German, French and Greek companies.

The contract allows the consortium partners to recoup their investment during the term of their operating licence. The metro and other public transport modes, notably a new tram system, were also to benefit greatly from Athens hosting the Olympic Games in 2004.

INFRASTRUCTURE

All lines are 1,435mm and use a third rail power supply. Metro Line 1 (25.6km / 15.9 miles) from Piraeus, through Athens centre and on north-eastwards to Kifissia, conveys 450,000 passengers a day.

Line 1 stations were upgraded or completely rebuilt in time for the 2004 Olympics, with Eirini station the main public transport link to the main Olympic complex. Nearby Neratziotissa is the interchange for the suburban railway into Larissa, the main OSE station, and the airport. End-to-end timing is 51 minutes, with headways varying according to demand, from two-and-a-half to 15 minutes.

The sensitive nature of much of Athens' historic city meant that, unlike Line 1, Lines 2 and 3 were built underground. Many tunnel sections were built by tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Excavations for the new lines revealed many archaeological treasures, some of which are showcased in the decor of stations, becoming attractions in their own right.

All platforms are a uniform 110m long and the centrepiece station at Syntagma Square in the heart of the city has a mass of individually-designed walls and piles. Sepolia on Line 2 was the location of the initial new rolling stock maintenance depot, being joined in 2007 by Eleonas on Line 3.

The three lines interconnect at the centrally placed stations of Monastiraki, Omonoia and Syntagma, the latter also being the city centre tram terminus. There are extensive bus services, with all modes and interchanges shown on maps of the co-ordinating Athens Urban Transport Organisation. The first section of the Line 3 westwards extension opened to Egaleo in May 2007. Line 3 also links the city with another recent high profile national project, Elefthérios Venizélos international airport, which opened in 2001. Together, Lines 2 and 3 carry 650,000 passengers daily.

ROLLING STOCK

Until very recent deliveries, stock has been relatively basic and followed an older styling in comparison to most equivalent vehicles elsewhere. New three-car trains were specified with high-density interiors, capable of accommodating over 1,000 passengers under crush-loading conditions. Dual voltage ROTEM-supplied stock with greater luggage space is used for services on the section to the airport, where it runs under 25kV wires with the suburban railway. Rolling stock has been acquired in several batches, sourced variously from France, East Germany, Germany and Korea.

SIGNALLING/COMMUNICATIONS

The trains are all fitted with an automatic control system, which controls headways between them, as well as the speed of each individual train.

Ticketing systems and stations access are both also fully automated. A dedicated colour light system governs movements along the dedicated track sections, including in all the tunnels. Passenger information is provided on trains and station platforms.

THE FUTURE

The Metro Development Study (MDS) brings together planning in respect of metro lines under construction with future developments of all transport modes in the Attica region. Other rail modes in the area are OSE Hellenic Railways, the suburban railway and trams. MDS coverage relating to metro developments:

• Line 2 extensions: Ag. Antonios to Peristeri and Petroupoli; Dafni to Glyfada
• A new Line 3 branch from central Athens to Kypseli and Galatsi
• Line 3 extensions: Monastiraki to Egaleo; later to Piraeus via Korydallos and Nikaia
• Line 3 extension: Pentagono to Stavros Ag. Paraskevis
• A new Line 3 branch from Panormou to Paradissos Amaroussiou