Athens Metro
Encyclopedia
The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit
system serving Athens
, the capital city of Greece
. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. ' onMouseout='HidePop("12103")' href="/topics/Attica">Attic
metro') and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A. . Currently it is being integrated with ISAP and Athens Tram in the new company STASY S.A.
, a separate company under separate ownership. It was occasionally referred to by third parties as Metro Line 1 (Green line).
Construction of Lines 2 and 3 began in November 1991 to decrease traffic congestion and clean up the environment by reducing Athens' smog level. Lines 2 and 3, constructed by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Operations Company S.A. and known as red and blue lines respectively, were inaugurated in January 2000. Line 3 reached the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in summer 2004 and Egaleo in May 2007. New stations are regularly being added to the network, the latest being Agia Paraskevi station (2010-12-30).
In March 2011, the Greek Government passed Law 3920 to allow Athens Metro Operations Company (AMEL) to absorb Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways
and Athens Tram
. The resulting company was renamed "STASY S.A." and is a subsidiary of OASA S.A. The merger was officially announced on June 10, 2011. However no actual integration of infrastructure and operations of the constituent companies has taken place yet.
, Proastiakos
, the Athens Suburban Railway and the Athens Tram
system. There is a physical connection with ISAP
railway at Attiki station
.
The system consists of standard gauge
lines in intermediate depth tunnels, with both up and down lines in a common tunnel. The system is electrified with the third-rail system, using a nominal voltage of 750 V DC.
The length of the blue line (line 3) as of April 2008 was 16.4 km not including the suburban railway part to the airport, or, as of February 2008, 37.6 km including the 21.2 km of the line that it shares with the suburban railway system of Athens. The length of the red line (line 2) as of July 2008 was 10.9 km. This brings the overall length of the green, red and blue lines to approximately 74 km.
An automatic train supervision system (ATS) and a passenger information system (PIS) made by Alstom cover the whole network. Traditional color light signalling is limited to points and junctions.
It is being heavily used, earning a daily ridership of more than one and a half million passengers.
There are daily and weekly tickets, as well as monthly cards which also apply for all means of public transport in Athens. Fares are checked frequently. Passengers who fail to show a validated ticket or a monthly card are required to pay 60 times the price of a standard ticket.
for use within 48 hours was 14 euros. There are also two- and three-person one-way tickets available.
. A merger of the two systems, while dictated by Law 2668, was postponed indefinitely and the required Presidential Decree was never issued. In March-June 2011 the Greek Government merged ISAP with Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A. and with Athens Tram in a single new company, STA.SY S.A.
Railcar codes: DM: driving motor car, DT: driving trailer, M: motor car, T: trailer, MD: motor car with auxiliary driving facility.
During the construction of the metro tunnels, numerous artefacts of archaeological interest were discovered. Their discovery was brought about as a result of what is known as salvage archaeology, this is archaeology that comes into play not because of natural decay but due to the artefacts' imminent destruction by the systematic excavation process. Teams of archaeologists worked ahead of, then alongside, engineers for a total of 6 years. They protected and recorded the archaeological evidence that was uncovered which included ancient streets, houses, cemeteries, sanctuaries, public workshops, foundry pits, kilns, aqueducts, wells, cisterns, drains and sewage tunnels. Together this allowed a new insight into the topography of the city in ancient times. Never before has such a rapid development of infrastructure been accompanied hand-in-hand with the attentive study and preservation of archaeological data.
Exhibitions of ancient artefacts and/or their replicas can be found at various metro stations, such as those of Monastiraki and Syntagma.
s are taking place at various locations on the proposed route.
According to the Metro Development Study, two new lines would be constructed, as branches of the existing lines: a line 2 branch from Panepistimio to Alsos Veikou and a line 3 branch from Panormou to Maroussi. Further studies showed that the construction of an new separate line combining these two branches is preferable. The proposal also recommends lighter rolling stock than the type used in lines 2 and 3, which shall operate fully automatically without a driver. The proposed route for line 4 is:
The proposed expansion would bring the system to a total of eight lines (including ISAP Line 1) with a total length of 220 km and serving 200 stations. In addition to small extensions to lines 1, 2, 3 and 4, the proposed expansion would consist of lines 5 (Ano Liosia
- Vyronas
), 6 (Melissia
- Perama
/Pireaus), and 7 (Chaidari
- Alimos
(Kalamaki
)) which would cross the Attiki basin, passing through downtown Athens and line 8 as an incomplete circle around Athens (Katechaki - Sepolia
- Kallithea
- Dafni - Pangrati
). However, recent publicity material published by Attiko Metro S.A. indicate that those ambitious plans are curtailed. The new regulatory plan published on July 20, 2011 specifies a rapid transit (Metro) system which shall consist of only 4 lines. http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UfCMqBJHswQ%3d&tabid=367&language=el-GR
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system serving Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, the capital city of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. ' onMouseout='HidePop("12103")' href="/topics/Attica">Attic
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
metro') and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A. . Currently it is being integrated with ISAP and Athens Tram in the new company STASY S.A.
History
For a long time the only rapid transit system in Athens and Piraeus was the old Athens-Piraeus Railway, which was electrified in 1904 and extended to Kifissia in 1957. That system remained in use and was operated until 2011 by ISAPISAP
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
, a separate company under separate ownership. It was occasionally referred to by third parties as Metro Line 1 (Green line).
Construction of Lines 2 and 3 began in November 1991 to decrease traffic congestion and clean up the environment by reducing Athens' smog level. Lines 2 and 3, constructed by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Operations Company S.A. and known as red and blue lines respectively, were inaugurated in January 2000. Line 3 reached the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in summer 2004 and Egaleo in May 2007. New stations are regularly being added to the network, the latest being Agia Paraskevi station (2010-12-30).
In March 2011, the Greek Government passed Law 3920 to allow Athens Metro Operations Company (AMEL) to absorb Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways
ISAP
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
and Athens Tram
Athens Tram
The Athens Tram is public tram network system serving Athens. It is constructed, owned and operated by Tram S.A. , subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. ....
. The resulting company was renamed "STASY S.A." and is a subsidiary of OASA S.A. The merger was officially announced on June 10, 2011. However no actual integration of infrastructure and operations of the constituent companies has taken place yet.
Description
As of December 2010, the system served 33 stations, not counting the four OSE stations on the Airport line. Both Metro lines have passenger connections with ISAP (Line 1)ISAP
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
, Proastiakos
Proastiakos
Proastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
, the Athens Suburban Railway and the Athens Tram
Athens Tram
The Athens Tram is public tram network system serving Athens. It is constructed, owned and operated by Tram S.A. , subsidiary company of Attiko Metro S.A. ....
system. There is a physical connection with ISAP
ISAP
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
railway at Attiki station
Attiki station
Attiki station is a railway station in Athens, Greece. The station opened in 1885. It was the main hub of Attica Railways, a metre gauge network connecting donwtown Athens with the mining town of Lavrion and the northern suburbs of Marousi and Kifissia...
.
The system consists of standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
lines in intermediate depth tunnels, with both up and down lines in a common tunnel. The system is electrified with the third-rail system, using a nominal voltage of 750 V DC.
The length of the blue line (line 3) as of April 2008 was 16.4 km not including the suburban railway part to the airport, or, as of February 2008, 37.6 km including the 21.2 km of the line that it shares with the suburban railway system of Athens. The length of the red line (line 2) as of July 2008 was 10.9 km. This brings the overall length of the green, red and blue lines to approximately 74 km.
An automatic train supervision system (ATS) and a passenger information system (PIS) made by Alstom cover the whole network. Traditional color light signalling is limited to points and junctions.
It is being heavily used, earning a daily ridership of more than one and a half million passengers.
Ticketing policy
Purchased tickets are valid for 90 minutes after validation and can be used for several journeys on the network (lines 1, 2 and 3), as well as in most other means of public transport in Athens including buses, trolleybuses, trams, and the urban part of the suburban railway (between Piraeus, Magoula and Koropi stations, excluding the airport). Passengers must validate their tickets at the machines at the entrance to the station from which the journey starts.There are daily and weekly tickets, as well as monthly cards which also apply for all means of public transport in Athens. Fares are checked frequently. Passengers who fail to show a validated ticket or a monthly card are required to pay 60 times the price of a standard ticket.
Airport fares
Travel to and from the Athens International Airport requires a special 8 euros ticket. Return tickets are also available - in February 2011, the return fareFare
A fare is the fee paid by a passenger allowing him or her to make use of a public transport system: rail, bus, taxi, etc. In the case of air transport, the term airfare is often used.-Uses:...
for use within 48 hours was 14 euros. There are also two- and three-person one-way tickets available.
| A map of rapid transit Rapid transit A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on... systems in Athens. |
Line 1 (Green line)
Although often depicted on maps and route diagrams as part of Athens Metro, Line 1 (Green Line), until mid-2011 it was actually owned and operated by a separate company - Athens-Piraeus Electric RailwaysISAP
I.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
. A merger of the two systems, while dictated by Law 2668, was postponed indefinitely and the required Presidential Decree was never issued. In March-June 2011 the Greek Government merged ISAP with Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A. and with Athens Tram in a single new company, STA.SY S.A.
Stations on Line 2
- Agios Antonios in PeristeriPeristeriPeristeri is a suburban municipality in Athens, Greece, located about 5 km NW of the downtown area. The municipality is bordered by the Cephissus/Cephissos River, Athinon Avenue , Chaidari in the west and Petroupoli in the northwest, with a size of around...
- Sepolia
- AttikiAttiki stationAttiki station is a railway station in Athens, Greece. The station opened in 1885. It was the main hub of Attica Railways, a metre gauge network connecting donwtown Athens with the mining town of Lavrion and the northern suburbs of Marousi and Kifissia...
- Larissa station – Athens central railway station (OSE, ProastiakosProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
) - Metaxourgio – west of Omonia Square
- OmonoiaOmonoia stationOmonoia station is a subway station in Omonoia square of Athens used by Attiko Metro and ISAP.The first station opened 1895 but had been completely redesigned until 1930 as a Metro station. In 2000 the additional platforms for Line 2 was opened....
– underneath Omonoia Square, connection to Line 1 - Panepistimio – near the University of Athens
- SyntagmaSyntagma stationThe Syntagma station of Attiko Metro is located at Syntagma Square in the center of Athens, Greece. It serves as a transfer point to the Blue Line with the Red Line . It also serves as a connection point to the Athens Tram. When the Metro first opened, the station was the terminal station for both...
– Syntagma SquareSyntagma SquareSyntagma Square , is located in central Athens, Greece. The Square is named after the Constitution that King Otto was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on September 3, 1843....
; connection to Line 3 - Akropoli – stop for the AcropolisAcropolis, AthensAcropolis is a neighborhood of Athens, near the ancient monument of Acropolis, along the Dionysios Areopagitis, courier road. This neighborhood has a significant number of tourists all year round. It is the site of the Museum of Acropolis, opened in 2009....
- Syngrou-Fix – near Andrea Syngrou AvenueAndrea Syngrou AvenueAndrea Syngrou Avenue is a major road in Athens, linking Poseidonos Avenue with the centre and other avenues. It is planned, built and later named for Andreas Syngros. It runs southwest to northeast. The Syngrou-Fix station of the Attiko Metro's Red Line is situated at the northeastern end of the...
- Neos Kosmos
- Agios Ioannis – next to Vouliagmenis AvenueVouliagmenis AvenueVouliagmenis Avenue is one of the longest avenues in the Greater Athens area, stretching from central Athens to the seaside resort of Vouliagmeni. The total length is 21 km. The avenue begins at Athanasios Diakos Street and Michalakopoulou Street and the southbound portion of the avenue...
- Dafni – in the heart of Dafni
- Agios Dimitrios/Alexandros Panagoulis - near Agios DimitriosAgios DimitriosAgios Dimitrios is a suburb in the southern part of Athens, Greece. Several main roads pass through the city. It is also linked to Katechaki, Vouliagmenis Avenue to the east, Poseidonos Avenue Agios Dimitrios (Greek: Άγιος Δημήτριος meaning Saint Demetrius) is a suburb in the southern part of...
, IlioupoliIlioupoliIlioupoli is a suburb in the south-southeastern part of metropolitan Athens, Greece.The area was made up of farmlands to the west and the central part and the rocky areas of the Hymettus to its east. Mixed farming was common in the western part. Much of the agricultural production that time was...
, Vouliagmenis Avenue and Athens Metro Mall.
Future extensions
Extensions of Line 2 to the northwest (Peristeri) and southeast (along Vouliagmenis Avenue) are under construction. When all of them are operational (2020), the line shall run from Anthoupoli to Elliniko. Further extensions to the northwest are under consideration.- Anthoupolis (October 2013)
- Peristeri (October 2013)
- Ilioupoli (April 2014)
- Alimos (April 2014)
- Argyroupoli (April 2014)
- Elliniko, near the old Hellinikon International AirportEllinikon International AirportEllinikon International Airport , sometimes spelled Hellinikon was the international airport of Athens, Greece for sixty years up until 2001 when it was replaced by the new Athens International Airport. It is located south of Athens, and just west of Glyfada...
(April 2014)
Stations on Line 3
- Egaleo
- Eleonas
- Kerameikos
- MonastirakiMonastiraki stationThis page addresses a train station in Greece; for the ancient Cretan city, see Monastiraki, Crete.Monastiraki or Monastirion station is an interchange station of the Attiko Metro Blue Line and the ISAP Green Line 1. The original surface station of Line 1 opened in May 17, 1895...
– passenger connection to Line 1. - SyntagmaSyntagma stationThe Syntagma station of Attiko Metro is located at Syntagma Square in the center of Athens, Greece. It serves as a transfer point to the Blue Line with the Red Line . It also serves as a connection point to the Athens Tram. When the Metro first opened, the station was the terminal station for both...
– next to Syntagma SquareSyntagma SquareSyntagma Square , is located in central Athens, Greece. The Square is named after the Constitution that King Otto was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on September 3, 1843....
, passenger connection to Line 2. - EvangelismosEvangelismos stationEvangelismos station is located on Vassilissis Sophias Avenue. It is close to the "Evangelismos" General Hospital, the National Gallery of Athens, the Athens War Museum, the Byzantine & Christian Museum and the Athens Hilton. Close to this station is the famous area of Kolonaki, known for its...
, close to Hilton Athens and the National Gallery (Athens)National Gallery (Athens)The National Art Gallery and Alexander Soutzos Museum is an art museum in Athens devoted to Greek and European art from the 14th century to the 20th century. It is directed by Marina Lambraki-Plaka.-History:... - Megaro MoussikisMegaro Moussikis stationThe Megaro Moussikis Attiko Metro station is located just outside the Athens Concert Hall on Vassilissis Sophias Ave. The U.S. Embassy, as well as the hospitals "Alexandra" and "Areteion", are close to the station....
, next to the Athens Concert HallAthens Concert HallThe Athens Concert Hall is a concert hall located in Athens, on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue....
(music hall) - AmbelokipiAmbelokipi stationLocated at Alexandras Ave. and Panormou Ave., it is close not only to Kifissias Ave., but also to some important buildings of Athens, such as the Hellenic Police Headquarters and the Hellenic Supreme Court ....
– near Ambelokipi - PanormouPanormou stationPanormou is an Attiko Metro Blue Line station, located at Panormou Ave., near Ambelokipi, Greece. It is also quite close to Kifissias Ave....
- KatehakiKatehaki stationKatehaki is an Attiko Metro Blue Line station, located at "Katechaki Avenue" and "Mesogeion Avenue". It is close to the building of the former Ministry of Public Order and also to the Goudi Badminton Olympic Complex, to the National Glyptotheque of Greece as well as National Technical University...
- Ethniki AmynaEthniki Amyna stationEthniki Amyna is an Athens Metro Blue Line station, situated close to the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. When the Metro first opened, it served as the terminal station for all trains to that direction ....
- HolargosHolargos stationHolargos is an Attiko Metro Blue Line station, located on Mesogeion Avenue....
- Nomismatokopio
- Aghia Paraskevi
- Halandri
- Doukissis PlakentiasDoukissis Plakentias stationDoukissis Plakentias, in Athens, Greece is an Attiko Metro Blue Line Station situated in Agia Paraskevi near Doukissis Plakentias Avenue. Named after the Duchess of Plaisance, a philhellene, who owned much of the land in this part of Athens, it is located near Attiki Odos, and serves as a...
, passenger connection with the suburban railwayProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
; most trains terminate here, with two trains per hour continuing to Athens International Airport using OSE line. - Pallini, station shared with the suburban railwayProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
. - Paiania–Kantza, station shared with the suburban railwayProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
. - Koropi, station shared with the suburban railwayProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
. - Athens International Airport, station shared with the suburban railwayProastiakosProastiakós , is the name used for the suburban services of TrainOSE, servicing Greece's three largest cities: Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras; providing them with modern commuter rail links, towards their suburbs and also towards other cities and towns located around them.The service, operated by...
.
Future extensions
A southwestern extension is under construction and the new station Agia Marina is scheduled to open in 2011. A new rolling stock depot is under construction near Eleonas station. There are plans to further extend the line from Haidari to Piraeus. If the extension is approved, it shall serve the northwestern suburbs of Piraeus:- Agia Marina (under construction, October 2011)
- Agia Varvara (planned)
- Korydallos (planned)
- Nikaia (planned)
- Maniatika (planned)
- Piraeus (planned)
- Dimotiko Theatro (planned)
Rolling stock
- First series (delivery): 28 six-car electric multiple units made by AlstomAlstomAlstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
-SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
-ADtranzAdtranzABB Daimler-Benz Transportation , commonly known under its brand Adtranz, was a multi-national rail transport equipment manufacturer with facilities concentrated in Europe and the USA....
(2000). Maximum speed 80 km/h. - Second series (delivery): 21 six-car EMU made by Hanwa-Rotem-Mitsubishi (2004). Seven of these trains can also operate on OSE lines with 25 kV AC -50 Hz overhead electrification system and are used for airport services. All second series trains are air-conditioned. Maximum speed 80 km/h.
- Third series: Athens Metro ordered 17 additional trains.
- Four service hybrid locomotives made by Kaelble-Gmeinder-Siemens. They can operate from a third rail 750 V DC system or using their own diesel generators. They are of a B-B configuration with a maximum power of 550 kW under diesel traction and 600 kW under electric traction.
- One rail-road UnimogUnimogUnimog is a range of multi-purpose auto four wheel drive medium trucks produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The name Unimog is pronounced in German and is an acronym for the German "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", Gerät being the German word for machine or device...
| Batch | Year | Configuration | Type | Numbering | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2000 | DT-M-MD+MD-M-DT | DT | A01-A56 | 56 EMU-3 "half-trains" operating as 28 EMU-6 trains. Made by Alsthom-Siemens-ADtranz. MD railcars have an auxiliary driving facility used only for shunting. |
| M | B01-B56 | ||||
| MD | C01-C56 | ||||
| 2nd (DC) |
2003–2004 | DM-T-M+M-T-DM | DM | D201-D228 | 28 EMU-3 "half-trains" operating as 14 EMU-6 trains. Made by Hanwa-Rotem-Mitsubishi. |
| T | T201-T228 | ||||
| M | M201-M228 | ||||
| 2nd (DC/AC) |
2003–2004 | DM-T-M+M-T-DM | DM | D251-D264 | 14 EMU-3 "half-trains" operating as 7 EMU-6 trains. Made by Hanwa-Rotem-Mitsubishi, can also operate on 25 kV AC, 50 Hz lines. |
| T | T251-T264 | ||||
| M | M251-M264 | ||||
| 3rd | 2011 | A contract for 17 air conditioned EMU-6 trains was signed on 2009-09-16 with Hanwa-Rotem. |
Railcar codes: DM: driving motor car, DT: driving trailer, M: motor car, T: trailer, MD: motor car with auxiliary driving facility.
Archaeological excavations and exhibits
Syntagma Metro Station Archaeological CollectionDuring the construction of the metro tunnels, numerous artefacts of archaeological interest were discovered. Their discovery was brought about as a result of what is known as salvage archaeology, this is archaeology that comes into play not because of natural decay but due to the artefacts' imminent destruction by the systematic excavation process. Teams of archaeologists worked ahead of, then alongside, engineers for a total of 6 years. They protected and recorded the archaeological evidence that was uncovered which included ancient streets, houses, cemeteries, sanctuaries, public workshops, foundry pits, kilns, aqueducts, wells, cisterns, drains and sewage tunnels. Together this allowed a new insight into the topography of the city in ancient times. Never before has such a rapid development of infrastructure been accompanied hand-in-hand with the attentive study and preservation of archaeological data.
Exhibitions of ancient artefacts and/or their replicas can be found at various metro stations, such as those of Monastiraki and Syntagma.
Proposed Line 4 (Orange line)
Alsos Veikou - Maroussi A new line, planned, but no funding is secured as of May 2009. On November 4, 2010, it was announced that a call for tenders for the construction of the western branch shall be published in late 2011. Currently geotechnical investigationGeotechnical investigation
Geotechnical investigations are performed by geotechnical engineers or engineering geologists to obtain information on the physical properties of soil and rock around a site to design earthworks and foundations for proposed structures and for repair of distress to earthworks and structures caused...
s are taking place at various locations on the proposed route.
According to the Metro Development Study, two new lines would be constructed, as branches of the existing lines: a line 2 branch from Panepistimio to Alsos Veikou and a line 3 branch from Panormou to Maroussi. Further studies showed that the construction of an new separate line combining these two branches is preferable. The proposal also recommends lighter rolling stock than the type used in lines 2 and 3, which shall operate fully automatically without a driver. The proposed route for line 4 is:
- Alsos Veikou
- Galatsi
- Kypseli
- Dikastiria
- Alexandras
- Exarhia
- Panepistimio (new station with underpass connection to existing line 2 station)
- Kolonaki
- Evangelismos (existing line 3 station)
- Kaissariani
- Ano Ilissia
- Zografou
- Goudi
- Katehaki (existing line 3 station)
- Faros
- Filothei
- Sidera
- O.A.K.A.
- Paradissos
- O.T.E
- Maroussi (existing line 1 station)
Proposed Future Expansion
In April 2009, The Hellenic Ministry of Public Works released a preliminary proposal for a future expansion of the Attiko Metro, as part of the new Regulatory Plan for Athens and Attica. The proposal was intended to serve as a basis for future expansion of rapid transit in the Attiki basin, specifically stating that the project would not be completed in less than 20 years. The plan also called upon using only revenue from the Metro and highway system as the sole source of funding.The proposed expansion would bring the system to a total of eight lines (including ISAP Line 1) with a total length of 220 km and serving 200 stations. In addition to small extensions to lines 1, 2, 3 and 4, the proposed expansion would consist of lines 5 (Ano Liosia
Ano Liosia
Ano Liosia is a suburb and a former municipality in the northern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Fyli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit....
- Vyronas
Vyronas
Vyronas is a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece. The city is named after George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron, the famous English poet and writer, who is a national hero of Greece...
), 6 (Melissia
Melissia
Melissia , is a suburb in the northeastern part of Athens, Greece. The origin of the name comes from its beehives. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Penteli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit....
- Perama
Perama
Perama is a port city and a suburb of Piraeus that lies on the southwest edge of the Aegaleo mountains. It creates the western terminus of the Port of Piraeus and there is also a port that provides ferry services to Salamis. The town has only one main road connecting Lambrakis and Ralli Avenues,...
/Pireaus), and 7 (Chaidari
Chaidari
Chaidari , is a suburb in the west northwestern part of Athens, Greece. The two mountaintops of Aigaleo lies to the north and south...
- Alimos
Alimos
Alimos is an affluent suburb in the south-southwestern part of Athens, Greece, also known as Kalamaki . Poseidonos Avenue runs in the western part of Alimos, with the Hymettus mountain to the east meeting mainly grassland, while areas to the north of Argyroupoli are forested...
(Kalamaki
Kalamaki
Kalamaki is an alternative name for souvlaki, with the name derived from "κάλαμος" meaning reed. It is also the name of several Greek towns:* Kalamaki, Crete, a small town in the south of Crete...
)) which would cross the Attiki basin, passing through downtown Athens and line 8 as an incomplete circle around Athens (Katechaki - Sepolia
Sepolia
Sepolia is a neighborhood of Athens, Greece....
- Kallithea
Kallithea
Kallithea is the 8th largest municipality in Greece and the 4th biggest in the Athens urban area...
- Dafni - Pangrati
Pangrati
Pangrati or Pagkrati is a neighborhood in the Municipality of Athens, Greece. It is bordered by the Kolonaki neighborhood to the north, the Kaisariani Municipality to the east, the Vyronas Municipality to the south, and the Mets neighborhood to the west. It is not to be confused as a separate...
). However, recent publicity material published by Attiko Metro S.A. indicate that those ambitious plans are curtailed. The new regulatory plan published on July 20, 2011 specifies a rapid transit (Metro) system which shall consist of only 4 lines. http://www.ypeka.gr/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=UfCMqBJHswQ%3d&tabid=367&language=el-GR
See also
- ISAPISAPI.S.A.P. is the acronym for the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways , the oldest urban rapid transit system of Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world, after the Metropolitan Railway, of 1863, now a part of the London Underground...
(Line 1) - Athens Mass Transit SystemAthens Mass Transit SystemThe Athens Mass Transit System is the largest mass transit system of Greece. The system serves all areas in Athens Metropolitan Area and other parts of Attica Region.-Companies:...
- Thessaloniki MetroThessaloniki MetroThe Thessaloniki Metropolitan Railway , or Thessaloniki Metro , is an underground rapid transit system under construction in Thessaloniki, Greece.-The project:...
- List of metro systems