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Athens, one of Europe's oldest capitals, has more than 3 million inhabitants. The city hosted the Olympic Games in August 2004.

The current metro network consists of 3 lines, including one line in operation since 1869 and two modern lines only opened a few years ago. The total length of the network is approx. 65 km with 68 stations (July 2020).

This is the oldest of the three lines which make up the Athens Metro network. It has its origins in the first railway in Greece, which opened in 1869, but it has undergone many changes until it reached its present form. Today it is the longest of the three lines, with a length of 26 kilometres and serves 24 stations, three of which are interchanges with the other lines and two provide interchange with Surface Railway services.

In 1867, construction of the railway was awarded to the English businessman Edward Pickering, and work began on the 8 km line from Piraeus to Athens, which terminated at what is today Thissio station. The line was, of course, entirely on the surface and was steam-operated. Construction was completed on 17 February 1869, on which day the first test run took place, with the official opening ceremony following ten days later.

The line was electrified in 1904 and finally extended underground (3 km) through the city centre and further to Kifissia in 1957, when it began to operate as a real metro line.

Line 1 used to be owned and operated by ISAP (Athens-Piraeus Electric Railway) S.A., which was the new company created by the nationalisation of Greek Electric Railways in 1976, before being taken over by STASY in 2011.

Full story about Line 1

The idea for a metro was first perceived in the 1950s, and the plans called for an underground line starting from the main Athens railway station (Larissa Station) to Syntagma, where it would fork into two branches, one to Faliro and Glyfada and the other to Ambelokipi.

Increasing traffic and pollution problems led, in the 1980s, to the decision to eventually proceed with the building of a new Metro for Athens. The plans were revised, to include two completely separate lines, one from Peristeri in the north-west to Glyfada in the south, and the other from Aegaleo in the west to Gerakas in the east. In the early 1990s, construction of the lines, but in a shorter form, were approved and works started. Building difficulties meant that it was not until 2000 that the first sections became operational.

The first section of Line 2 opened on 28 January 2000, between Sepolia in the north-west to Syntagma in the city centre. The line includes two interchanges with Line 1 at Attiki and Omonia, with the Main Line and Suburban Rail trains at Larissa Station.

Full story about Line 2

At first, this line was perceived as a branch of Line 2 branching off at Syntagma and going to Ambelokipi, but later evolved into a separate line, planned to run from Egaleo in the west to Gerakas in the northeast. The line approved for construction in the late 1980s was from Keramikos (about 200m north of Line 1's Thissio station) to the west of the city centre, to the Pentagon (Ethniki Amyna) in the northeast. Eventually, the instability of the ground in the area west of Syntagma, as well as the larger number of ancient remains than expected, led to the curtailing of the line to Monastiraki. Even there, the opening was delayed for three years because of building difficulties. To avoid collapse of the tunnel to Monastiraki, smaller bore tunnels were dug around it using miniature TBMs and these were filled with concrete to stabilise the soil. Monastiraki offers interchange with Line 1 and its traditional ticket hall building was renovated and restored, while a second entrance was provided at Athenas Street. Monastiraki opened on 22 April 2003.

From Doukissis Plakentias, some trains surface and change power supply from 750V dc third rail to 25kv AC overhead, and run on the same tracks as the Suburban Rail to the Athens Airport, "Eleftherios Venizelos", initially without stopping at intermediate stops.

Full story about Line 3

Photos © Alexis Papazisimos & Werner Huber (More)

METRO TRAINS

In summer 2003, delivery of the 20 new 6-car trains for Line 1 (ISAP S.A.) was completed. The old trains (8 trains dating from 1959/1968 and 7 dating from 1983-1985) have been withdrawn. The 1983-built trains, built in East Germany, are all heading for scrapping. At least two of the 1959/1968 trains will be restored and preserved in working order at Piraeus depot, while some are being converted for special duties. Thus, Line 1 now only has two basic types of rolling stock, the 24 five-car trains delivered in two batches in 1984/85 and 1994/95, and the 20 new six-car trains built between 2000 and 2003. A 1984-built 5-car train has been experimentally fitted with air-conditioning, and all 44 trains were later retrofitted with such a system.

21 new trains were also built for Attiko Metro S.A. by ROTEM of Korea for the extensions on Lines 2 and 3. The new trains will break away from the traditional design used since 1984 for Athens Metro trains (all 3 lines) and will have several new features:
- Automated station announcement system
- Animated advertising panels
- Gangways throughout the trains, to allow passengers to move freely between the carriages even when the train is in motion.
- Ventilation systems
- Passenger operated doors
- Aerodynamic front ends.

Out of these trains, 14 will be 750 V DC (direct current) operated for use on Line 2 and Line 3 as far as D. Plakentias. They will have 204 seats and room for 840 standing passengers. The remaining 7 will be dual-voltage (750 Vdc/25KV ac) units for use on services to the airport. These will only have 185 seats, as some of the floor space will be used for luggage. These will also be air-conditioned. All trains will have six cars.

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 Projects

Line 4 - In Dec. 2005, detailed plans for a new U-shaped line were published linking two formerly planned branches. Section A between Alsos Veikou and Goudi (12.8 km) has been under construction since late 2021.

For route alignment and further projects see project details and map.

NEW: Tram Atlas Südosteuropa | Southeastern Europe

This illustrated atlas includes every tramway and metro city in Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. For each city, there is a detailed system map showing all stops, loops, single-track sections, depots etc. Short texts describe the history, operation and special features of every system. Most of the current vehicles are depicted in the numerous colour photographs. .

Zagreb, Osijek; Sarajevo; Beograd; Arad, Braila, Bucuresti, Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Galati, Iasi, Oradea, Ploiesti, Resita, Timisoara; Sofia; Athina & Thessaloniki

160 pages, 17x24 cm, approx. 300 colour images, network maps, text Deutsch/English
06/2023 - ISBN 978 3 936573 69 5, EUR 24.50

More info here!

STASY (Statheres Sygkoinonies S.A.) (Metro & Tram Operator - Official Site)

Hellenic Metro (Metro construction company)

Proastiakos (Suburban Railway - official site)

OASA - Athens Urban Transport

Athens Metro at Wikipedia

Origin of Station Names (by Panayiotis Constantinides)

John Fragakis' report on opening ceremony (Jan. 2000)

Athensguide Page includes some nice pictures

Suburban Railway Map 2004 (© Panayiotis Constantinides)

Another map by Panayiotis Constantinides

News about Greek Metros (Kathimerini Newspaper)

Athens Tram at UrbanRail.Net