Athens: Sepolia Underground Railway Tunnel to be auctioned on December 28th

The Great Railway Tunnel of Sepolia will be officially auctioned in a month’s time, a development that came just a few days after the approval of ERGOSE, as Ypodomes.com previously revealed.

This is the first large-scale railway infrastructure project that has been auctioned in 3 years, with a cost of 151.28mio euros (VAT included, excl. VAT: 122mio euros). The title of the project is “Construction of a quadruple railway corridor for the section: Athens’ Central Railway Station Exit to 3 Bridges, with undergrounding works in the area of ​​Sepolia”. The tunnel concerns a part of 1.9 km, while the project has a total length of 2.36 km.

The implementation of this project fulfils the decision of the Council of State, dating back in 2004, according to which, this line must be undergrounded. After the completion of the project, the section between Athens’ Central R.S. to 3 Bridges will be featuring a new, quadruple, electrified line, serving both intercity and suburban trains, while the, currently, bisected surface will be restored and transformed into green and recreational spaces for the residents.

The surrounding area, apart from the safety upgrade for pedestrians and vehicles, will also enjoy an aesthetic improvement and a long-desired relief from the noise pollution caused by passing trains.

The auction will take place on December 28, 2017 while the “unsealing” of the bids is scheduled for January 3, 2018. The project is funded by Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2014-2020. All major companies in the country will be present in the auction along with companies specializing in electromechanical equipment and electrification systems. According to ERGOSE, the budget will be broken down as following: 2018: 12,536,400.00 euros, 2019: 31,260,400.00 euros, 2020: 108,128,200.00 euros. The aim is for the project to start in 2018 and be completed by the end of 2020.

It is noteworthy that, during the construction phase, trains’ movement on the existing lines is planned to remain uninterrupted. According to Ypodomes.com, the implemention of the project will start from the West towards the East, in order to facilitate the simultaneous operation of the trains.

Upon the completion of the Western part of the tunnel, trains will be transferred to the first 2 underground lines. The Eastern part will be then removed in order for the 2 remaining underground lines to be constructed, that will also conclude the project.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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