Greece’s railway tunnels equal to Athens’ Metro network total length

Multiple rail projects have been implemented in the country over the last 25 years leaving an, admittedly, valuable footprint behind them. Greece now features a remarkable railway network which, with the completion of the Athens-Thessaloniki corridor in 2018, will be finally appreciated by the passengers.

Tunnels in these projects have played a critical role in shaping a modern, operating network. Most of us have connected the word “tunnel”, firstly with the Metro and secondly with the motorways. However, a considerable part of ERGOSE’s technical works consists of tunnels in areas with challenging geological conditions.

ERGOSE’s underground works are approximately 60 with a total length of 77 km of tunnels and an additional 7 km of emergency tunnels. For the most part, these tunnels are constructed with underground opening while just a small percentage with cut&cover method.

Railway tunnels in Greece are both single (double-directional) and twin tunnels depending on their length. Tunnels are also equipped with special ventilation systems controlled by high-end telematics systems.

Exclusively today, Ypodomes.com presents the country’s 10 longest railway tunnels, starting from 2.2 km (Trapeza Tunnel) up to an impressive 9.2 km (Kallidromo Tunnel). At the top five, there impressive figures; in fact the country’s longest 32 tunnels are among the longest in the Balkans as well, and a place among the world’s major railway tunnels.

What has been completed so far

To date, tunnels with a total length of approximately 38 km have been completed and released to operation, tunnels with a total length of 34 km have been constructed and will be delivered shortly while another 5.5 km of new tunnels are currently in the construction phase.

The tunnels are mainly constructed in mountainous routes, in cases with space shortage and intersections with the motorway network and wherever the line passes through inhabited areas with no possibility of detour with a surface design.

The average width of the tunnels is approximately 12.4 m., depending on the design, speed and the requirements of the electricity supply. All tunnels are constructed with reinforced concrete, the thickness of which depends on the ground’s composition. A drainage and waterproofing layer is placed outside the final cladding to ensure dry conditions inside the tunnel.

The tunnels are fully sealed for the existence of aquifers so as to avoid the environmental impact of their disruption while their design is fully adjusted to their surroundings.

And after the remarkable technical specifications of the Greek railway tunnels, constructed by ERGOSE, behold the top 10 brought to you by Ypodomes.com:

1. Kallidromo Tunnel: 9.0 km-Twin tunnel in Tithorea-Lianokladi section-Construction completed–In operation

2. Othris Tunnel: 6.4 km-Twin tunnel in the section Lianokladi-Domokos-Construction completed-To operate in 2018

3. Tempi Tunnel: 5,0 km-Twin Tunnel in Larissa-Thessaloniki section-In operation

4. Panagopoula Tunnel: 4.4 km-Twin tunnel in Eghio-Patras section-Under construction-Scheduled completion and operation in 2021

5. Perama Tunnel: 3.5 km-Single tunnel in Ikonio-Thriasio section-In operation

6. Eghion Tunnel: 3.5 km-Twin tunnel in Kiato-Eghio section-Construction completed- Scheduled operation in 2018

7. Platanos Tunnel: 2.7 km-Twin in Kiato-Eghio-Construction completed-Scheduled operation in 2018

8. Platamonas Tunnel: 2.6 km-Single tunnel in Larissa-Thessaloniki section-In operation

9. Kakia Skala Tunnel: 2.4 km-Single tunnel in Athens-Corinth section-In operation

10. Trapeza Tunnel: 2.2 km-Double tunnel in Aigio section-Construction Completed-Scheduled operation in 2018

Interesting facts

Among the 10 longest tunnels, 5 are operation, 4 have been completed and one is still under construction.

5 currently in construction are expected to be released in 2018, changing the rail journey experience. Apart from the longest railway tunnel, in Kallidromo, the second longest tunnel of the country, in Mount Othrys, with a length of 6.4 km, is due to operate in 2018. This year we also expect the operation of Eghion Tunnel (3.5 km), Platanos Tunnel (2.7 km) and Trapeza Tunnel (2.2 km), all 3 in Peloponnese.

Out of the 10 longest tunnels, 4 are located on the Kiato-Psathopyrgos corridor, 2 in Attica, 1 in Thessaly, 1 in Central Macedonia and 2 in Central Greece.

If we combine all 10 tunnels together, we will see that their length reaches 41.9 km. This means that the mere length of those tunnels is longer than Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3. They could actually cover the distance between Athens and Avlona.

8 out of the 10 longest tunnels are single, double track, while the Kallidromo and Othris tunnels are twin tunnels with a separate branch per direction.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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