Digging up the past to build the future

Attiko Metro A.E. is a modern company that employs highly specialised staff with professional training and operates based on specific objectives, visions and scheduling. Through Attiko Metro’s consistent planning and systematic work, the Metro network is expanding at a rapid pace in view of serving as many areas of the Attica Basin as possible.

Attiko Metro A.E. is a model company – it is managing to combine safe journeys, reliability and speed with high aesthetics which is significantly improving the transportation infrastructure of Athens. The most important achievement is that citizens today are using Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3 because they choose to do so and not because they have to do it.

Athens Metro

Currently, the two lines of the Athens Metro have a total length of 51km and 27 modern stations which serves 650,000 passengers on a daily basis.

It is worth pointing out that for the needs of the construction of Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3, the largest ever archaeological excavation was carried out in Athens. An area of 88,000m2 was excavated, bringing to light more than 50,000 archaeological finds.

Nowadays, the Metro passengers are able to admire significant antiquities displayed in elegant showcases in six central stations of the Metro network, while Attiko Metro A.E. has already developed four open-air spaces to reveal the ancient treasures at the locations exactly where they have been discovered.

The archaeological excavations related programme is continuing in today’s network extensions and especially in the extension of Line 3 towards the western suburbs of the Attica Basin (Egaleo). It is worth highlighting that the most ancient bridge of Greece was discovered in Eleonas Station, while a section of the ancient Iera Odos was brought to light in Egaleo Station.These two significant archaeological treasures shall soon be revealed and embellish the aforementioned Metro stations.

The Athens Metro continues to expand. A network 8.5km long in total is currently being constructed with 10 new stations, which will gradually be integrated into the Metro network by 2009.

Moreover, by the end of this year, Attiko Metro A.E. is anticipated to nominate the contractor for the project related to the further development of Line 3 which will be 7.5km long with six stations. This will ensure direct connection of the Port of Piraeus with Athens International Airport ‘Eleftherios Venizelos’.

Currently in progress are the designs for the new Athens Metro Line 4 – a 20.9km long line with 20 stations which will cover the transportation needs of a large number of densely populated areas of the capital. The budget for this project exceeds €2 billion and, based on a recent study of Attiko Metro, its funding could be implemented through the future revenues of Attiki Odos tolls which will last for a certain period of time after its handing over to the Greek State. Thus, the construction of the new Line 4 shall neither burden the State Budget nor shall it absorb any resources from the 4th Community Support Framework funds.

The following features have been included in the Stations of Lines 2 and 3 of the Metro network in order to accommodate for Persons with Special Needs (PSN):

• Stripes on the first and last ‘riser’ of the stairs
• Extended handrail beyond the first and last ‘riser’ of each stair by 1 metre
• Direction indicators and emergency push buttons for the interruption of the escalators operation
• Platform-edge additional warning stripes
• Improved legibility of signs and graphics
• Signs and graphics showing the facilities provided
• Improvement of lighting levels
• Accessible seats on the platforms
• Twin handrails and bi-directional stairs
• CCTV cameras
• Large electrical switches
• Dense grills in accessible manholes
• Curb cuts (ramps)
• Guides for visionary impaired persons

There are also specific needs for wheelchair users:

• Lifts at all stations
• Pre-recorded announcements at the lift cabins
• Intercommunication with the Station Master at the lift cabins
• Ramps for level changes
• Emergency telephones at concourse and platform levels
• Widening of the corridors at the exits of the lifts and installation of an additional control panel at low level
• Accessible administrative area at the depots
• Toilets for wheelchair users at all stations

Thessaloniki Metro

Concurrently, the experience, effectiveness and specialisation of Attiko Metro A.E. are being utilised in Thessaloniki as well, where the works for the construction of Thessaloniki Metro have already commenced. This project is considered the most major transportation work currently under construction in Greece. The base project of Thessaloniki Metro shall have a 9.6km long line with 13 modern stations served by 18 fully-automated trains. It is estimated that in five years time, the city of Thessaloniki shall have a modern, state-of-the-art transportation system that will have more superior technology than that of the Athens Metro.

Currently, 13 worksite areas have been developed and two Tunnel Boring Machines have already arrived in the city of Thessaloniki to commence the construction of two single track lines in 2009.

Moreover, the designs for the first extensions of Thessaloniki Metro towards Stavroupoli and Kalamaria (another 10km of metro line with 10 new stations) and the future connection of Thessaloniki Metro with ‘Macedonia’ Airport, are already being prepared by Attiko Metro A.E.. Attiko Metro A.E. aims at gradually developing a complete metro network in Thessaloniki, serving most city regions.

It is worth pointing out that a similar programme to the one implemented in the Athens Metro to cover the needs of the construction of Thessaloniki Metro has commenced as far as the archaeological excavations, which shall cover a total area of approximately 20,000m2. Attiko Metro A.E., in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, ‘shall dig up Thessaloniki’s past to build Thessaloniki’s future’. The most important archaeological finds shall be placed in showcases to embellish the central stations of the network as well as in several museums of the city.

The greatest front of metro works (with a budget of €2 billion) ever executed in Greece is currently being implemented. In a total of 50 worksites, more than 3,000 employees are joining their efforts and expertise in order to deliver the new metro stations in due time.