Contract for the biggest rail infrastructure project in Greece since 2017 is signed today

The largest railway project since 2017 will be signed today in the region of Achaia. It is in the Panagopoula railway tunnel, the fourth largest in the country, that the contract signing ceremony for the completion project of the Aigio-Rio line will take place.

The signings will take place in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is on a tour in the region of Achaia. The project is undertaken by the TERNA-MYTILINEOS scheme, while the contracting authority is ERGOSE.

The project includes the construction of the lines (structure), electrification, signaling and remote control and stations. Upon its completion, it will be able to be put into operation by OSE. With this project, the modern railway is literally coming to Patras frontyard and the express electric route will be able to do the Athens-Rio route in less than 2 hours.

It heals a wound in the region

At the same time, it heals a big wound in the region of Achaia, which has been isolated as far as railways are concerned since 2010 when the operation of the metric line was stopped in order to start the modernization projects of the railway. The new line is estimated to be able to bring passengers back on the trains as all trains running intercity and suburban routes will be able to run with electrification.

Last pending for the completion of the line to Patras is the section Rio-Neo Limani Patras, the tender for which is in progress. However, the reports that may be made for the specific project are awaited with particular interest as there are additional requirements in the matter of undergrounding.

Its cost including VAT is 179 million euros. The relevant tender was held on November 4, 2021, with the unsealing of the offers taking place on the 10th of the same month. The TERNA-MYTILINEOS scheme undertakes the projects with a discount of 8.29%. The duration of the projects is 36 months, i.e. completion at the end of 2025.

Which railway stations will be built

With this new project, new railway stations and stops will be built from scratch. In comparison, the construction of three railway stations is planned: Psathopyrgos, Arachovitika and Rio. Also the construction of four railway stations: Rododafni, Selianitika, Kamares and Agios Vassilios.

The cost of the project including VAT is 174.97 million euros. The contracting scheme TERNA-MYTILINEOS undertakes the project with a discount rate of 8.29%. Let us remind you that the tender was held on November 4, 2021 and on the 10th of the same month the tenders were unsealed.

The duration of the project has been set at 36 months from the signing of the contract and this means that it has a completion horizon of the end of 2025. The financing of the project is initially covered by the NSRF 2014-2020 and will then be completed as a bridge project by the NSRF 2021-2027.

What is included in the project?

– Construction of 28.8 km of double railway infrastructure from the entrance of Sid. Stasis Rododafni Km posistion 193+950 until after the end of the underground project (Cover and Cut) Rio Km position. 222+750.

– Construction of 4 Railway Stations and 3 Railway Stations, two Tunnel Facilities Service Buildings (TFS) (entrance & exit of Panagopoula tunnel) with their surrounding areas and the configuration of the interconnecting arcade No. 5 of the Panagopoula tunnel to house the S/ S-2.

– Construction of the IT facilities inside the Panagopoula tunnel, its service buildings (SB), the technical areas of the S/S-2 of the interconnector No. 5 and the C&C Ag. Basilio.

– Construction of a modern two-way signaling system with remote control and ETCS level 1.

– Construction of a 25kV/50Hz electrification system, with remote control (SCADA).

– Construction of a modern Telecommunications system.

– “EC” verification of the “infrastructure”, “energy” and “control-control and signaling” subsystems built in the context of this project.