Mazzoncini: Completion of railway works necessary for the order of new rolling stock – Italian interest for Athens Urban Transport

The completion of the entirety of civil engineering works as well as the installation of the signaling and all other systems is a prerequisite in order for new trains to come to Greece’s modernized network, as a part of the 500-mln euro investment package of FSI, said to ypodomes.com, Mr. Renato Mazzoncini, FS Managing Director, at a press event organized in the center of Athens. The main target is Athens-Thessaloniki line, which can operate as Rome-Milan line in Italy.

As Mr. Mazzoncini clarified, the plan is, upon the renovated line’s completion, to bring the “Silver Arrow” (aka Frecciargento) trains that are in use in Italy and can develop speeds up to 250 km/h and, at the same time, to order brand-new trains, that will allow very high speeds, when all systems will have been fully completed.

He added that 25mln euros of investments is intended through the offer that will shortly be opened for the acquisition of EESSTY and, according to sources, is estimated at about 23mln euros.

A particular mention was made for the considerable increase in freight transport achieved by TRAINOSE in Q1 2018, by 16%, while the type of cargo that recorded the highest increase was containers as they quadrupled, covering 40mln tonne kilometers, from about 10mln, in the same quarter, last year. Mr. Mazzoncini also commented that the Greek market is really interesting regarding freight transport while the cooperation with Cosco is very important for the company.

She also expressed FS’s interest to get involved and acquire Athens Urban Transport system, once there is a decision for the privatization of OASA. “We are an integrrated mobility provider, not just a railway company” said FS’s Managing Director. It is reminded that TRAINOSE is the owner of Athens Suburban Railway, so it is already active in the field of the capital’s transport system.

“Over the next 5 years, TRAINOSE will grow, today is very small compared to the future”, said Mr. Mazzoncini said giving as an example Rome-Milan line, which from 16mln passengers climbed to 40mln in 2017, noting that the Balkans are important for the European family, as they are part of the Pan-European corridors, with a possible interest in international passenger services in the future.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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