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Athens Metro
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The Athens Metro is the underground public transport system of Athens, Greece, constructed by the Attiko Metro company (?tt??? ?et??, literally 'Attican metro') and the ISAP (Ilektrikoi Sidirodromoi Athinon-Pireos) company (??e?t????? S?d???d??µ?? ??????-?e??a??? "Athens - Piraeus Electric Railways"). Many ancient buildings, ruins and artifacts were discovered during the excavation works for several city centre stations: most were carefully restored and are displayed within the stations, making the Metro system a daily museum tour of the city's illustrious heritage .
o Line 1 (Green line) was inaugurated on 27 February 1869 as a steam train connecting Athens and Piraeus and was operated by Athens Piraeus Railway S.A.
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Encyclopedia
The Athens Metro is the underground public transport system of Athens, Greece, constructed by the Attiko Metro company (?tt??? ?et??, literally 'Attican metro') and the ISAP (Ilektrikoi Sidirodromoi Athinon-Pireos) company (??e?t????? S?d???d??µ?? ??????-?e??a??? "Athens - Piraeus Electric Railways"). Many ancient buildings, ruins and artifacts were discovered during the excavation works for several city centre stations: most were carefully restored and are displayed within the stations, making the Metro system a daily museum tour of the city's illustrious heritage .
History
Green Line
Metro Line 1 (Green line) was inaugurated on 27 February 1869 as a steam train connecting Athens and Piraeus and was operated by Athens Piraeus Railway S.A. The line was electrified in 1904 and the operating company renamed to Athens Piraeus Electric Railway SA in 1976. Today, Line 1 reaches the suburb of Kifisia and is also known as the green line and the electric railway. Its total length as of February 2008 is around 26 km.
Blue and Red lines
Construction of Metro 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 by Attiko Metro Operations Company S.A. and known as red and blue lines respectively, were inaugurated in January 2000 and as of 2007 have 26 stations between them. Line 3 reached the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in summer 2004 and Egaleo in May 2007. All three Metro lines connect with Proastiakos, the Athens Suburban Railway and the tram system. The length of the blue line (line 3) as of April 2008 is 16.4 km not including the suburban railway part to the airport, or as of February 2008 around 39.6 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 February 2008 is around 11.5 km or 10.9 km as of April 2008. This brings the overall length of the green, red and blue line to approximately 77 km.
Archaeological findings
During the creation of the metro tunnels, several artifacts of archaeological interest were discovered. This was brought about as a result of what is known as salvage archaeology, that is archaeology that comes into play when systematic excavation is required, not by the problems of antiquity but by the imminent destruction of historical material. Teams of archaeologists worked ahead of, then alongside of, 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 artifacts and/or their replicas can be found at various metro stations, such as those of Monastiraki and Syntagma.
Ticketing policy
Each ticket costs €1.00 (reduced fare: €0.50) and is valid for 90 minutes after they have been validated and can be used 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 part of the suburban railway (as far as Koropi station, not including the airport). A passenger must validate their ticket at the machines at the entrance to the station from which the journey starts.
There are daily (€3) and weekly (€10) tickets, as well as monthly cards (standard fare: €38; reduced fare: €19) 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 (ie, €48).
Pallini-Peania-Koropi fares
Before introduction of the €0.80 ticket in 2008, travel to Pallini, Peania-Kantza, and Koropi stations was subject to a special ticket that cost €1.80. The same ticket for the Proastiakos railway cost only €1.
Airport fares
Travel to and from the Athens International Airport requires a special ticket. The one-way ticket costs €6 (reduced fare: €3). Also available are return tickets at the price of €10, as well as two- and three-person one-way tickets (fare: €10 and €15, respectively).
List of stations of the Athens metro system
Stations in Line 1 (Green line)
- Piraeus, near the Piraeus port, the southernmost station of Line 1
- Faliro, near Peace and Friendship Stadium and Karaiskákis Stadium, connecting with the tram
- Moschato
- Kallithea
- Tavros
- Petralona
- Thissio (Thission)
- Monastiraki, intersects with Line 3
- Omonoia (Omonia), intersects with Line 2
- Victoria station (Victoria)
- Attiki, intersects with Line 2
- Agios Nikolaos
- Kato Patissia
- Agios Eleftherios
- Ano Patissia
- Perissos
- Pefkakia
- Nea Ionia
- Heraklio
- Eirini, near the Athens Olympic Sports Complex
- Nerantziotissa, intersecting with the suburban railway
- Marousi
- KAT, near the KAT Hospital
- Kifissia, the northernmost station of Line 1
Stations in Line 2 (Red line)
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- Aghios Antonios in Peristeri
- Sepolia
- Attiki
- Larissa station – Athens central railway station (OSE, Proastiakos)
- Metaxourgio – north-east of Omonia Square
- Omonia – underneath Omonia Square, connection to Line 1
- Panepistimio – near the University of Athens
- Syntagma – Syntagma Square; connection to Line 2
- Akropoli – stop for the Acropolis
- Syngrou-Fix – near Andreas Syngrou Avenue
- Neos Kosmos
- Aghios Ioannis – next to Vouliagmenis Avenue
- Daphni – in the heart of Daphni
- Aghios Dimitrios/Alexandros Panagoulis - near Agios Dimitrios, Ilioupoli and Vouliagmenis Avenue
Stations in Line 3 (Blue line)
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Future expansions
As important as the metro is to the Attica Basin, extensions are needed to keep up with usage. The new stations are in bold. The year the station is expected to open is in brackets.
Line 1 (Green line)
Piraeus-Agios Stefanos
- Piraeus
- Faliro
- Moschato
- Kallithea
- Tavros
- Petralona
- Thissio (Thission)
- Monastiraki
- Omonoia
- Victoria (Viktoria)
- Attiki
- Agios Nikolaos
- Kato Patissia
- Agios Eleftherios
- Ano Patissia
- Perissos
- Pefkakia
- Nea Ionia
- Heraklio
- Eirini
- Nerantziotissa
- Maroussi
- KAT
- Kifissia
- Tatoiou (2012-2015)
- Nea Erithrea (2012-2015)
- Kastri (2012-2015)
- Ethniki Odos Athinon-Lamias (2012-2015)
- Anixi (Anoixi) (2018)
- Agios Stefanos (2018)
Line 2 (Red line)
Anthoupoli - Elliniko
- Anthoupoli (Late 2009)
- Peristeri (Late 2009)
- Aghios Antonios
- Sepolia
- Attiki
- Larissa Station
- Metaxourghio
- Omonia
- Panepistimio
- Syntagma
- Akropoli
- Sygrou - Fix
- Neos Kosmos
- Aghios Ioannis
- Daphni
- Aghios Dimitrios / Alexandros Panagoulis
- Ilioupoli (Spring 2010)
- Alimos (2010)
- Argyroupoli (Spring 2010)
- Elliniko, near the old Hellinikon International Airport - East Terminal (Spring 2010)
Line 3 (Blue line)
Evangelistria - Doukissis Plakentias - Airport
- Evangelistria (planned – 2013)
- Dimotiko Theatro (planned – 2013)
- Piraeus (planned – 2013)
- Tampouria (planned – 2013)
- Nikaia (planned – 2013)
- Korydallos (planned – 2013)
- Aghia Varvara (planned – 2013)
- Haidari (Late 2009)
- Egaleo
- Eleonas
- Kerameikos
- Monastiraki
- Syntagma
- Evangelismos
- Megaro Moussikis
- Ambelokipi
- Panormou
- Katehaki
- Ethniki Amyna
- Holargos (Late 2009)
- Nomismatokopio (September 2009)
- Aghia Paraskevi (2010)
- Halandri
- Doukissis Plakentias
- Pallini
- Paiania–Kantza
- Koropi
- Airport
Line 4 (Orange line - PLANNED)
Alsos Veikou - Maroussi (new line, planned, but no funding secured as of June 2008)
According to the Metro Development Study, 2 new lines should be constructed, actually branches of the existing lines: line 2 branch (Panepistimio - Alsos Veikou) and line 3 branch (Panormou - Maroussi). Recent investigation results though showed that a construction of an autonomous line would be preferable. The planned line is a result of the unification of the initially planned lines and the addition of a new station between Panepistimio, Evangelismos and Katehaki (instead of Panormou) stations.
- Alsos Veikou
- Galatsi
- Kypseli
- Dikastiria
- Alexandras
- Exarhia
- Panepistimio
- Kolonaki
- Evangelismos
- Pangrati / Kaissariani
- Ano Ilissia
- Zografou
- Goudi
- Katehaki
- Faros
- Filothei
- Sidera
- O.A.K.A.
- Paradissos
- Maroussi
Policies
In order to maintain a safe, clean and pleasant environment in the Metro system, the following activities are not allowed :
- Smoking
- Carrying flammable or dangerous substances, materials and objects
- Carrying inconvenient items (bulky or oversized items etc.), bicycles only sometimes
- Drinking or eating
- Travelling drunk or under the influence of drugs
- Selling or distributing goods or services
- Using musical instruments
- Begging or troubling other passengers
- Littering
- Going onto the tracks or in the tunnel.
Pets can be transported only inside special boxes.
The production of a validated ticket or a valid travel card is required inside the trains and in the Metro premises, beyond the validation machines (Laws 1214/1981, 2669/1998, 2801/2000).
Passengers should not attempt to enter the trains after the buzzer has sounded.
It was a suggestion of the mayor of Athens, Nikitas Kaklamanis in late September 2007 to extend the service hours of the metro system from midnight to 2 am at least on Friday and Saturday nights. Two months later, it was decided that lines 1, 2 and 3 will participate in the pilot study involving the function of the Athens Metro at "night times".
See also
External links
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