Athens Metro: here are the 7 future line extensions & new lines

Seven major expansions will expand the Athens Metro network in the coming decades. The transportation system, beloved by Athenians and considered a powerful tool against today’s traffic, consists of three lines, with a new fourth line under construction. Additionally, there is a tender for the expansion of the second line to the northwest.

According to the Athens Metro Development Plan, there are seven expansions outlined in the future plans of the Eliniko Metro. The goal of these additions is to bring the capital to a total of 110 stations and a total of five lines.

• The most significant expansion, considered a major priority, is the extension of Line 4 from Goudi to Marousi to Lykovrysi in the Athens Metro. This extensive expansion will cover the major Kifisia Avenue, providing much-needed relief to the congested traffic area of Athens. It will connect with Line 3 at Katechaki and Line 1 at Marousi. The extension includes 10 stations: Katechaki, Faros, Filothei, Sidera, Olympic Stadium, Paradise, OTE, Marousi, Pefki, and Lykovrysi. The entire extension will be underground, and its estimated cost is around 1.3 billion euros based on preliminary calculations. It is expected to address one of the most heavily trafficked road axes in the basin.
• Another expansion that seems to be progressing towards realization is the new underground branch of Line 1 Thissio-KPISN in the Athens Metro. This is the renowned extension towards the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) and will have stations at HAMOSTERNAS, PL.DAVAKI, LOFO FILARETOU, ultimately terminating at the SNFCC. It is a significant expansion for the southern suburbs.
• A third expansion considered significant is the extension of Line 4 towards the west. This involves the section ALSSOS VEIKOU-PETROUPOLI, which will include six new stations. This expansion covers densely populated areas such as Nea Ionia, Pefkakia, Nea Filadelfeia (which will also have access to the metro for AEK’s stadium), Agioi Anargyroi, Ilion, and Petroupoli. It will connect with Line 1 at Pefkakia, with the Suburban Railway at Agioi Anargyroi, and with Line 2 at Ilion.
• The next expansion on the map of the Athens Metro is the southern extension of Line 2, from Elliniko to Glyfada. This expansion will cover the municipality of Glyfada with three stations: Ano Glyfada, G. Lampraki, and Glyfada near the Church of Saint Konstantinos. This extension brings the Athens Metro for the first time to the Athenian Riviera, as the terminus will be only 100 meters away from the Glyfada beach and very close to the southern hub of the development of Elliniko.
• Another interesting expansion is that of Line 1 from Kifisia to Varybobi. This expansion is significant as it involves the undergrounding of the Kifisia station and the creation of two new stations in Nea Erythraia and at the Varybobi Junction. The latter is expected to become one of the largest transportation hubs in the network, as it is the only station located on Kifisou Avenue and will serve the numerous needs of those using the area.
• In future plans for the Athens Metro, there is also the final extension of Line 2 towards Menidi. After completing the extension to Ilion that will bring the Metro to the border with Kamatero (stations: Palatiani, Ilion, Agios Nikolaos), there is an extension planned to the center of Acharnes. Three stations are envisaged: Kamatero, Zefyri, and Acharnes. At the Zefyri station, there will be a connection to the Suburban Railway.
• Finally, there is the new Line 5 of the Metro. Essentially, this is a new branch of Line 4 starting from Evangelismos and ending in the southern suburbs at Ano Ilioupoli (or Pyrkala). Essentially, this new line may share some common stations with Line 4 in the city center, but this is a dynamic aspect that will be decided in the future. That is, whether the line, for example, will start from Academias and descend to the south or from another central station.

The network today and in the future

For now, the Athens Metropolitan Railway network has 67+4, meaning 71 stations: Line 1 has 24 stations, Line 2 has another 20 stations, and Line 3 has 23 stations, plus 4 shared with the Suburban Railway.

With the completion of Line 4 by the Athens Metro, in the section from Alsos Veikou to Goudi, the network will reach 85 stations and will reach 88 with the extension of Line 2 to Ilion. With the seven additional expansions, another 32 stations will gradually be added, bringing the future total to 117 stations.

Of course, the implementation of all the above expansions will require many years and significant investments, as the estimated costs for all these expansions reach almost 4 billion euros at today’s values. Given that, up to now, all projects are covered by the seven-year European programs, it will take 2 to 3 decades to cover all these areas.