November 30th, a historic, if everything goes smoothly, day for Thessaloniki is cut short with the metro (without… a driver) being a breath away from hitting the tracks, at least based on what Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced yesterday.
The most painful and long-suffering public project of Greece in the 21st century with its cost reaching, together with the extension of Kalamaria, 2 billion euros is on its way with some crucial details remaining to be settled in order to cut the first ticket and to change the capital of Thessaloniki’s public transport.
But before the first ticket is cut, it is possible that on the first day of operation the movements will be free, there are two critical tests that the trains will have to successfully pass in order to be given the green light for the operation of the metro.
The road race and both challenges
The works of relocating the antiquities have been completed at the Venizelos station, while the rest of the pending matters concerning the specific station will be closed by September.
However, the tests that the metro will have to pass will be judged elsewhere, with a non-stop road race… with obstacles having begun.
The first challenge concerns the successful completion of test runs.
The construction contractor (Aktor, Webuild, Hitachi) checks and… thoroughly tests the infrastructure, the operating systems and the rolling stock. These tests are carried out under the umbrella of Helliniko Metro S.A., which puts under the microscope the quality of the construction and the functionality of the infrastructure, having close to it the executives of the Operation and Maintenance contractor, that is, THEEMA S.A. (a joint venture of the Italian ATM that has taken over the Copenhagen metro and the French EGIS), which “learn” the metro systems.
The construction contractor of the project (Aktor, Webuild, Hitachi) arranges the last details regarding the operation of the network, trains and stations with the operating contractor, THEMA, then taking turn to issue the necessary safety certifications operation of all systems. It becomes clear that with time counting down, the procedures must run and absolute coordination between those involved must be achieved, but without discounting safety.
The second challenge has to do with the transfer station in the New Switzerland area.
At the two ends of the baseline, two main transport hubs will operate. At the western end, the New Railway Station, this has been achieved for years because of the train. At the eastern end, in New Switzerland, the contract for the creation of a corresponding hub was recently signed by the scheme that builds the line, namely Aktor, Webuild, Hitachi.
The contract provides for the construction of the unopened section of Michail Psellou Street, approximately 500 m long, the remodeling of its junctions on both sides with the rest of the road network and the creation of a modern transfer station for city buses, taxis and private cars.
Its budget amounts to 10.47 million euros and an effort is being made to complete the main part of it (the 500 meters of Psellos) by November, with time pressing suffocatingly. It is likely that the transfer station will not have been created by November 30.
Intrakat untangled the tangle
The project hit the gas, covering the lost ground with a sprint of many… kilometers, after the acquisition of Aktor by Intrakat (CEO Alexandros Exarchou) with the company ensuring the payment of the dues to the subcontractors to return to the project, since this was also the reason why the work had gone off schedule.
From New Railway Station to New Switzerland, Thessaloniki will have a 9.6 km long, 13-station metro, which will alleviate to some extent (there are no magic solutions) the city’s open traffic wound.
Over 300,000 passengers
When, by the end of 2025, the extension to Kalamaria, with an additional length of 4.8 km and 5 stations, is put into operation, the metro will have a total length of approximately 14.5 km, 18 stations, will serve approximately 315,000 passengers daily, limiting the circulation of cars by 60,000 and leading to a reduction of CO2 by 212 tons respectively per day.
Stations
The stations of the main project of the Thessaloniki metro are: New Railway Station, Demokratia Square, Venizelos, Agia Sophia, Fountain, University, Papafi, Euclid, Fleming, Analipsi, 25th of March, Voulgari, New Switzerland.
The stations of the extension to Kalamaria (the metro is expected to arrive there in the second half of 2025), are: Prefecture, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini, Mikra. But in order for everything to work as it should when November 30 arrives when the metro whistles, preparations are on fire with tests and security checks hitting the gas.
Without a driver
It is worth noting that the stations of Thessaloniki are different from those of Athens, while the subway of the co-capital will not have a driver but, at least for the first time, some security attendants who will ensure that everything runs smoothly, while identifying possible malfunctions. They can also operate the train manually if it stops for some reason.
Wires every 2.5 minutes
Escorts are also available in the Copenhagen metro, which is of the same logic as the Thessaloniki metro. At the start of the main line, the frequency of the routes, according to the operating company of the metro, THEMA, will be every 2.5 minutes and a few months later, when the operation of the extension to Kalamaria also starts, it will be reduced to 1, 5 minutes.
The Thessaloniki metro will have 18 ultra-automatic trains of the latest technology, fully air-conditioned.
90 cents the ticket
The ticket will have a cost of 90 euro cents and a duration of 70 minutes. At a later time, the “marriage” with the OASTH systems will be done so that passengers can use the metro and bus with one ticket (and a small price increase).
Source: ot.gr
#Thessaloniki #Metro #outstandings #start
