Railway projects worth 850m euros to be auctioned until 2020

A new generation of railway projects is being prepared by ERGOSE that is already implementing relevant studies in order to advance their maturation and secure funding during the current programming period.

In a nutshell, the auctions of the projects that will complete “PATHEP” corridor on the Aegion-Patras section (split in 3 different contracts), prjects which are expected to gradually bring the double-track, electrified line to Aghios Dionysios, in the center of Patras, in the coming years. These projects have an estimated cost of roughly 400m euros.

Rail projects are, undoubtedly, the ones that will dominate in the near future, certainly more than road-related projects that will be complementing the existing network.

Projects that are to be funded by the current NSRF are several, with the most interesting being the the 800-meter-long railway tunnel in Menidi and the new underpass in Aghios Stephanos Station. In this case, studies have been completed and the green light has been given for its auction at a cost of about 50m euros.

Studies are also underway for the major infrastructure upgrading project on PATHEP’s to the north of Attica, on SKA-Oinoi section (cost estimated at 120 m euros). Their completion is expected at the beginning of the year and with the approval of NSRF managing authority, will be auctioned.

In Central Macedonia, there is an active study regarding the installation of electrification on the Thessaloniki-Promachonas railway section, a project with a budget of over 120m euros as well.

The relevant studies are due to be completed in the summer of 2020 allowing the auction to proceed. This particular project is strategic because it does not only concern the upgrade of the line, reducing times of suburban routes to Serres and Promachonas but will also connect the country to Bulgaria’s already electrified railway network and Trans-European Axis 7, opening the door mainly for freight transport.

At a very advanced stage are the studies, with their auction being expected later this year, for the signaling systems on Thessaloniki-Edomeni line, that will completed the section’s upgrade projects.

At a more local level, projects expected to be auctioned soon are the so-called “sweep” contract in Athens Central Railway Station as well as the electrification of the line between Larissa and Volos, with 2 separate projects budgeted at approximately 50m euros and 80m euros respectively.

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com

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