Thessaloniki Metro: Kalamaria extension is coming up next with new extensions to the west in the pipeline

After the official commencement of commercial operations for the Thessaloniki Metro, the next phase of developing the city’s transportation system shifts focus to other projects. The first Metro extension, towards Kalamaria, is essentially entering its final countdown.

According to statements made during the inauguration ceremony of the main line, the Kalamaria extension is scheduled to be delivered by the end of November 2025, which is just under a year from now.

This extension includes five new underground stations: Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini, and Mikra. Once it becomes operational, Thessaloniki will automatically have two lines. How will they operate?

Today, the main line includes 13 stations, running from the New Railway Station to Nea Elvetia. With the operation of the Kalamaria line, the first 11 stations will be shared, spanning from the New Railway Station to the 25th Martiou station

From that point onward, the two lines will branch off, either towards Nea Elvetia or Mikra. As Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos mentioned recently, for every three trains, two will go towards Mikra and one towards Nea Elvetia.

The Thessaloniki Metro extension to Kalamaria was signed on June 25, 2013, with an initial timeline of 66 months. As mentioned earlier, its completion is now scheduled for November 2025. The project is being undertaken by AKTOR, with a discount rate of 6.04%.

This particular extension starts from the “25th Martiou” station of the main line, which will serve as a shared station for both lines. It will then pass through Solonos, Kritis, Moschonision, Mitropoliti Kydonion, and Pontou streets, ending at the intersection of Pontou and Ikaron streets, just before the Perimeter Trench.

The project scope includes a double underground line approximately 4.77 km long, five underground stations, five shafts, three railway crossings, and part of the required electromechanical and railway systems.

At the same time, the procurement of an additional 15 trains is underway to serve the two lines, enabling train frequency of up to every 90 seconds during peak hours.

The extension towards Evosmos-Kordelio

The next major challenge for the Metro, as Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Tachiaos has mentioned, will be the extension towards Evosmos. The significant news about this extension is that it will not involve extending the existing line but rather creating a new line.

The new “green” line will begin by connecting to the New Railway Station (yes, construction barriers will return in a few years), pass through Ampelokipoi, and branch out in the Menemeni area. One branch will head towards Evosmos, ending at a second depot that will be developed in the Ano Evosmos area.

The second branch will connect to the KTEL Macedonia terminal, pass through Eptanissou, and terminate at Kordelio. This line will also be connected to the upcoming Western Thessaloniki Suburban Railway.

In this way, the Thessaloniki Metro will eventually have two main lines, each with two branches.

For now, what we have are lines on a map. The next step must be initiating the necessary studies for these extensions, preparing the tender process, and, of course, securing funding.

Line 2, looking further into the future, will pass through the city center, with stations at Aristotelous and YMCA (XANΘ), Toumba, and Charilaou, eventually ending at Agia Kyriaki.

At the same time, the planned extensions of the main line include a route towards Stavroupoli and Efkarpia, terminating at the area of Papageorgiou Hospital, where another depot is also planned. Additionally, an extension is envisioned towards Macedonia Airport and further on to terminate at Thess INTEC.

The Western Thessaloniki Suburban Railway

The next step in developing fixed-track transportation in Thessaloniki will be moving forward with the implementation of the Western Thessaloniki Suburban Railway. It will feature three lines covering a significant portion of metropolitan Thessaloniki, utilizing old, abandoned railway tracks.

Essentially, together with the future Line 2 towards Evosmos and Kordelio, the Western Thessaloniki Suburban Railway will be able to address a significant portion of the transportation needs currently served by bus routes, forming an integral part of Thessaloniki’s future transportation system.

A total of 16 stations are planned, creating a cohesive fixed-track network. However, the final design will be shaped through the tender process, which, as recently stated by Minister of Infrastructure Christos Staikouras, is expected to be announced within 18 months.

The preliminary study (which may be subject to changes) proposes Line 1: New Railway Station – Sindos and Line 2: Thessaloniki Port – Diavata, while Line 3 is almost entirely planned on a new alignment in the Lagada – Eptanissou section.

In its final form, Thessaloniki’s fixed-track transportation system will feature two Metro lines. The first line will have three branches (from the New Railway Station towards Nea Elvetia, the Airport, and Papageorgiou Hospital). The second line, terminating at Agia Kyriaki, will have two branches extending towards Evosmos and Kordelio.

It will also include Suburban Railway lines, ensuring that most of metropolitan Thessaloniki (as it is today) will be covered by the transportation network.

However, implementing all these plans requires funding exceeding €3 billion, making the realization of these projects a matter of many years, if not decades.

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