Athens Metro

Until 28 January 2000, Line 1 was the only rapid-transit line in Athens. The Athens and Piraeus Railway Company (SAP) opened a steam single-track mixed cargo and passenger railway line on 27 February 1869 and was run between Piraeus and Thiseio. It was electrified in 1904. On 4 February 1885 Lavrion Square-Strofyli steam narrow gauge single-track mixed cargo and passenger railway line opened and was run at the time from Attiki Square to Kifissia through Iraklio. These originally mixed cargo and passenger railway lines gradually merged and converted to a rapid-transit system. The section between Kifissia and Strofyli was abandoned.

From 1869 to 1926 the line operated by SAP.

From 1926 to 1976 the line operated by Hellenic Electric Railways (E.I.S.). In 1976 the Hellenic Electric Railways was nationalized and renamed Athens-Piraeus Electric Railways S.A.

From 1976 to 16 June 2011, the Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway Company (ISAP) operated Line 1.[5]

Since the current Line 1 opened, the government has proposed many expansions to the subway network, including a 1963 plan for a fourteen-line subway network.[6] Construction of Lines 2 and 3 began in November 1992 to decrease traffic congestion and improve Athens' air quality by reducing its smog level.[3] Both lines were constructed underground. Lines 2 and 3, built by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Operations Company, are known respectively as the red and blue lines and were inaugurated in January 2000. Line 3 was extended to the Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport in summer 2004, and Line 2 was extended to Anthoupoli and Helliniko in 2013.

Until 17 June 2011,[5] the operational management of the Athens Metro network was similar to that of the London Underground network before the creation of the London Passenger Transport Board and the absorption of the Metropolitan Railway on 1 July 1933. The Greek government attempted to absorb ISAP into Attiko Metro under Law 2669/1998 so the latter would be responsible for the whole network,[7] but this initiative failed. Athens Metro operations were consolidated when the Greek government enacted Law 3920/2011,[8] replacing AMEL, ISAP and Tram S.A. with Urban Rail Transport S.A. (STASY S.A.) (Greek: ΣΤΑΣΥ Α.Ε.), a subsidiary of OASA S.A. (Athens Urban Transport Organisation S.A.).[9]

The three-line Athens Metro network serves 64 stations. It owns and operates 57 of them, and OSE owns the remainder on the airport section. The network has four metro interchanges, enabling the lines to interchange with each other at least once. Each line also has at least one station connecting with the Proastiakos Suburban Railway and Athens Tram.

Athens Metro lines

Line	Map colour[I][10]	First section opened	Elec.	Latest section opened	Latest station opened	Route	Length (km, mi)	Sta.
	Green	February 27, 1869	1904	August 10, 1957	August 6, 2004 (Nerantziotissa)	Piraeus – Kifisia	25.6 km (15.9 mi)[2]	24
	Red	January 28, 2000	2000	July 26, 2013	July 26, 2013 (Elliniko)[11]	Anthoupoli – Elliniko	17.9 km (11.1 mi)	20
	Light Blue[*]	January 28, 2000	2000	July 7, 2020	July 7, 2020 (Agia Varvara, Korydallos, Nikaia)	Nikaia – Airport	18.1 km (11.2 mi) / 39 km (24.2 mi)	24
Total							82.5 km (51.3 mi)	64[a]
* Dark blue on signage.

System map (2013)

The west entrance to Athens Metro line 1 Victoria station.

Line 1 is 25.6-kilometre (15.9 mi) long,[2] and serves 24 stations. Lines 2 is a 17.9 kilometres (11.1 mi) and serves 20 stations and line 3 is 41 kilometres (25 mi) long (including 20.7 kilometres (12.9 mi) of suburban rail line from Doukissis Plakentias station to the Airport on Line 3), and serve 24 stations.[1][12]

Line 2 and the Attiko Metro portion of Line 3 is entirely underground. Line 1 is primarily overground, with a tunnel section in central Athens. The airport section of Line 3, east of the tunnel portal near Doukissis Plakentias, is open. In the tunnel sections up and down lines share a common tunnel, except for approaches to stations with an island platform (such as Egaleo).

The Athens Metro's three lines carried approximately 1,353,000 passengers daily in 2010.[1]

The overall length of the green, red and blue lines is approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi). There are rail connections between Lines 1 and 2 near Attiki and between Lines 2 and 3 near Syntagma. Train maintenance facilities are located at Attiki, Faliro, Irini, Piraeus, Kifissia and Thissio for Line 1, and Doukissis Plakentias, Eleonas and Sepolia for Lines 2 and 3.

The network uses standard gauge electric trains which in most places run on 750 V DC third rail, but the section of Line 3 running to the airport requires trains which can use overhead lines of 25 kV AC, 50 Hz.

The Athens Metro classifies rolling stock by "batch" for Line 1 and "generation" for Lines 2 and 3 because ISAP and AMEL used different classification systems for rolling stock before consolidation. Six types of rolling stock operate on the network, all equipped with third rail current collection systems; however, only seven second-generation trains have the necessary overhead line equipment to serve Line 3 from Doukissis Plakentias to Airport. Differing signalling systems prevent batch stock from running on Lines 2 and 3 and generation stock from running on Line 1.

The eighth batch (introduced in 1983) is the oldest rolling stock in passenger service, while the third generation (introduced in 2013) is the latest rolling stock in passenger service. The eighth- and tenth-batch stock is externally similar, but the former has split-flap headsigns in Johnston typeface and a cream-and-green interior colour scheme.

Line	Stock	Image	Introduced
	8th-batch stock		1983
	10th-batch stock		1993
	11th-batch stock		2000
	1st-generation stock		2000
	2nd-generation stock		2003 & 2004
	3rd-generation stock		2014

• First series (delivery): 28 six-car electric multiple units made by Alstom–Siemens–Adtranz (2000); maximum speed 80 km/h[13]
• Second series (delivery): 21 six-car EMU made by Hanwha-Rotem-Mitsubishi (2004).[14] Seven of these trains can also operate on OSE lines with 25 kV AC −50 Hz overhead electrification system and are used for airport service. All second-series trains are air-conditioned. Maximum speed 80 km/h
• Third series: Athens Metro ordered 17 additional trains made by Hyundai Rotem.
• Four service hybrid locomotives made by Kaelble-Gmeinder-Siemens. They can operate from a third-rail 750 V DC system or their own diesel generators. They have a B-B configuration, with a maximum power of 550 kW under diesel traction and 600 kW under electric traction.[15]
• One road-rail Unimog

Railcar codes: DM: driving motor car, DT: driving trailer, M: motor car, T: trailer, MD: motor car with auxiliary driving facility.

Line 1 uses two-aspect red/green home signals, yellow/green distant signals and a passenger information system (PIS). The current system replaced 1950s-era semaphore signals.

Lines 2 and 3 use the Alstom automatic train supervision system (ATS) and a passenger information system (PIS). Two-aspect red/white colour signals are used at points and junctions only.

A fourth line is planned for the Athens Metro and it has been incorporated in the roadmap of Athens's mass transit system since 2005. The new line in its totality will extend over a length of 38.2 km, adding thirty five (35) new stations to the Athens Metro system. The cost of the entire project is estimated at 3.3 billion EUR.[19] The recommendation is for lighter rolling stock than the type used in existing lines of Athens Metro which would operate automatically without a driver. In November 2020, Alstom was chosen to supply the line with 20 4-car automated Metropolis trains, operated under Urbalis 400 signalling system.[20]

The first phase of Line 4 will be between Alsos Veikou and Goudi stations, predicting fifteen (15) new stations and a length of 12.8 km of new track. An invitation to tender for the construction of the first phase of Line 4 was issued in September 2018. The construction is expected to start by mid-2020 and the opening of the line by circa 2028. The estimated cost for constructing the first phase of the new line is 1.51 billion EUR. Currently, the project of the first phase is considered to follow a PPP scheme which might be extended for constructing the whole new line. An alternative solution is a mixed funding between the EIB and the Greek State. It is also a high-profile candidate project to be included in the Juncker Plan of EU that will include also the second phase of Line 4 of Athens Metro.

As of March 2020, the planned stations for the first phase of Line 4 are:[21]

Name	Location	Opening date	Transfers	Platform type
Athens Metro Line 4 [I]
Alsos Veikou	Omorfoklissias (Veikou) Ave. & Tralleon St.	2027 or 2028	none	Side
Galatsi	Omorfoklissias (Veikou) Ave. & Galatsiou Ave.
Elikonos	Aghias Glykerias St. & Parnithos St.
Kypseli	Kanari (Kypselis) Square
Dikastiria	Evelpidon St. & Moustoxidi St.
Alexandras	Alexandras Ave. & Moustoxidi St.
Exarcheia	Exarcheia Square
Akadimia	Akadimias St.		Line 2 Panepistimio
Kolonaki	Filikis Etaireias (Kolonaki) Square		none
Evangelismos	Rizari Park		Line 3
Kaisariani	Ethnikis Antistaseos Ave. & Vass. Alexandrou Ave.		none
Panepistimioupoli	within the main campus of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Ilisia	Indou St. & Aornou Square & Kyprou Square
Zografou	Alexandri (Gardenia) Square
Goudi	Eleftherias Square

A masterplan of 8 lines, known as the Souflias plan was published in 2009.[22] The plan was later abandoned. In 2020 Attiko Metro announced that they have revived the plan for lines 6 and 7, but nothing was stated about line 8.