Updated plans for Patras new railway connection projects to be presented in July

The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Mr. Kostas Karamanlis, intends to present his plans on how the modern railway will finally reach the city of Patras. According to information of ypodomes.com, the Ministry of Infrastructure does is not opposed to the solution of the undergrounding but to the complete undergrounding of the lines, a project that cannot be financed due to its very large budget.

The solution proposed by the Ministry

The solution to which the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is oriented, according to information of ypodomes.com, and which is the subject of negotiations with the competent directorates of the European Commission, presents, as noted by sources close to the case, many advantages:

At first, it accepts the fact that both intecity and suburban railway will become a valuable element of the city’s development. Regarding the layout, it provides for surface passage with a double-track electrified line from Rio to Aghios Dionysios (where a new modern central station will be built). In this section, 2 or 3 immersions of 100 meters each, have been planned in Bozaitika, Panachaiki and Agyia areas.

In addition, this solution involves another immersion of the section between Aghios Dionysios nad Aghios Andreas (with the cut and cover method) with a single-track line aiming to open the city to the seafront and achieve access of the railway to the port. At the same time, the Suburban Railway will operate in a boxed surface passage.

Along with the solution that will be proposed, the implementation of major interventions in the operation of the city is included, such as e.g. renovation of junctions and parking spaces in order to solve traffic problems. For this purpose, an architectural tender is being promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport in order to highlight the coastal front of the city.

At the same time, as the same sources point out, it enlivens the port, strengthens combined transport (i.e. the railway and sea transports, cruise ships and intecity buses). According to the same information, the solution is feasible and has a secured budget of less than 200, euros, from NSRF.

The solution, if implemented, provides for the rapid maturation and execution of the projects and stops the idiosyncratic railway isolation of Patras from the country’s national railway network. It also achieves in a reasonable time the arrival of the railway in the port, giving new great development opportunities to the business community and the industrial area of ​​the city.

It is worth mentioning that the project for the connection of Patras with the modern railway, is the basis for the subsequent connection to Ilia prefecture in the south, etc.