Greece’s most complicated public project in modern times, the €2 billion Thessaloniki metro is entering its final stretch at long last, moving forward with non-stop preparations and safety checks to ensure everything runs smoothly, with a view to fully operate by the end of 2024. Thessaloniki’s main metro line will stretch 9.6 km long and a temporary total of 13 stations from New Railway Station to Nea Elvetia. Construction work is 99% complete, with just the Venizelou station currently in progress and on track to be delivered by September. The metro is expected to alleviate the mounting traffic, a chronic thorny issue of the city of Thessaloniki.
Projections for 2025 are particularly encouraging, provided that the 5-station Kalamaria addition will extend the metro to 14.5 km, serving approximately 315,000 passengers daily, reducing private car traffic by 60,000 and decreasing CO2 emissions by 212 tons daily.
The 13 main stations are:
- New Railway Station
- Democracy Square
- Venizelou
- Agia Sofia
- Fountain
- University
- Papafi
- Euclid
- Fleming
- Analipsi
- 25th March
- Voulgari
- Nea Elvetia
The 2025 extension will include the stations:
- Nomarchia
- Kalamaria
- Aretsou
- Nea Krini
- Mikra
The Thessaloniki metro will be a completely different experience than its Athenian forerunner – seeing that the trains are ultra-automatic, state-of-the-art, there will be no drivers, just safety escorts who will be able to identify any potential malfunctions and operate the train manually in case it stops. The main line will see trains running every 2.5 minutes, and once the Kalamaria extension is operational, this number will go down to 1.5 minutes.
Ticket cost is €0.90 and tickets will be valid for 70 minutes. In time, integration with OASTH systems will allow passengers to use both the metro and buses with one single ticket for a marginal price increase. The existing hub at the New Railway Station has facilitated transportation on the western end for years, and there are plans in place to create a corresponding one on the eastern end of Nea Elvetia, with metro, buses, taxis and KTEL services. The €10.47 project includes redevelopment of the connecting junctions with the rest of the road network and the creation of a modern Intermodal Station.
