Metro in Thessaloniki: escalators at Agia Sophia station

The construction of the subway in Thessaloniki is gaining momentum. Works at the Agia Sophia station are almost completed.

On Tuesday morning, March 29, work began in the city center on the installation of escalators at the exit and entrance to the Ag. Sofia station. The deadline for the completion of the main project is the end of 2023, and the people of Thessaloniki are looking forward to the completion of the project.

The “long-suffering project” – the construction of the metro in Thessaloniki – began in 2006. The auction with Attiko Metro for the construction of the main line, 9.6 km with 13 stations and the railway station in Pilea, took place in 2006, with the final contractor AEGEK IMPREGILO-ANSALDO TSF-SELI-ANSALDOB consortium and a budget of €1.052 billion. The contract was signed on 7 April 2006 Construction work began at the end of June 2006 with the arrangement of the construction site at the Thessaloniki railway station. The construction period was originally estimated at 6.5 years, with the completion of the project in October 2012, a symbolic date coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the city’s liberation.

Delays in the implementation of construction work arose due to huge layer of archaeological antiquities. As of March 2013, during the construction that began in 2006, a total of 23 thousand ancient and medieval artifacts. The mayor of the city and scientists decided to place the items found during excavations (or their copies) at metro stations in order to make it even more more attractive to tourists.

Tunneling work was also suspended due to a misunderstanding between the state and the construction consortium. As expected, in 2023, the Thessaloniki metro will start running 18 automatic underground trains. Passenger transportation will be carried out along one line with a length of 9.6 km, with 13 stations:

• Νέος σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός (New Station)
• Δημοκρατίας (Dimokratias)
• Βενιζέλου (Venizelu)
• Αγία Σοφία (Aya Sophia)
• Σιντριβάνι (Sindrivani)
• Πανεπιστήμιο (University)
• Παπάφη (Papafi)
• Ευκλείδη (Efclidi)
• Φλέμιγκ (Fleming)
• Αναλήψεως (Analipseos)
• Πατρικίου (Patriciou)
• Βούλγαρη (Voulgary)
• Νέα Ελβετία (Nea Elvetia).

In the future, it is planned to extend the metro south to Kalamaria and north to Stavroupoli. The total length of the section is 10.8 km with 10 stations. It is also possible to extend to Eleftherio Cordelho (west) for 4 km and 4 stations, and to Macedonia Airport (southwest) for 7 km and 3 stations.

Estimated stations of the second stage:

to Kalamaria (not before 2025):

• Νομαρχία (Nomarchia)
• Καλαμαριά (Calamaria)
• Αρετσού (Aretsu)
• Νέα Κρήνη (Nea Krini)
• Μίκρα (Micra)

to Stavroupoli (not earlier than 2025):

• Νεάπολη (Naples)
• Παύλου Μελά (Paul Mela)
• Σταυρούπολη (Stavroupoli)
• Πολίχνη (Polychni)
• Νικόπολη (Nicopolis).

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