The contract for the construction of a new metro line in Athens, signed on Tuesday by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has been called “Greece’s largest public project.”
The budget for the contract between Attiko Metro SA and the J&P Avax SA – Ghella SpA – Alstom Transport SA group of companies for the construction of line 4 of the Athens metro is 1.6 billion euros.
It will “serve the most densely populated areas of the capital, significantly increase the value of real estate in them and provide access to the metro in iconic areas,” Mitsotakis said, adding that construction work will begin this summer.
However, he admitted that it will take patience “to see the first train on Metro Line 4 make its maiden voyage on schedule in eight years.”
The construction of this new metro line begins at a time when the country is “turning the page, leaving behind the coronavirus pandemic,” he stressed, “as we are investing in development to create new jobs and improve the quality of life.”
New Athens Metro Line from Galati to Goudi
The new line 4 of the Athens metro will be almost 13 km long, from Alsos Veiku in Galati to Gudi, serving the municipalities of Athens Galati, Kessariani and Zografou.
It will include 15 new stations: Alsos Veiku, Galatsi, Elikonos, Kipseli, Souda (Dikastiria), Alexandras Av., Exarchia, Akademia, Kolonaki, Evangelismos, Kessariani, Panepistimioupoli, Zografu, Ilissia, Goudi, and will serve key buildings and structures.
These stations are close to hospitals, courts, National Polytechnic University, National Archaeological Museum, Ministry of Culture, University of Athens Law Faculty (UoA), Benaki Museum (Kumbari Street), British Council and Panepistimioupoli UoA campus in Zografou.
In addition, four new stations – Exarchia, Akadimia, Koronaki and Evangelismos – will unload existing Athens metro stations, especially Syntagma central station, and connect to existing lines at Panepistimio and Akademia / Evangelismos stations.
The new line will run through a main tunnel, approximately 10.1 km long, created by two new tunnel boring machines, and will also include 20 automatic trains without a driver.
It is estimated to serve around 340,000 passengers daily, reduce private car traffic by nearly 53,000 daily, and reduce CO2 emissions to around 319 tonnes per day.
In addition to the new systems, the Line 4 construction project will introduce Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Greece. It is an innovative platform supported by the European Commission and part of the Reconstruction Fund reforms. It bridges the gap between the researcher and the project developer, significantly reducing the final cost – a common problem in Greece.
The Metro has changed Athens significantly, providing a much-needed solution to urban transport and air pollution, as well as revitalizing many of the areas it serves.
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