Contract for a key railway electrification project in Central Greece to be signed shortly

Shortly before the start of the construction period, we are now in the electrification project on the Paleofarsalos-Kalambaka railway section. The contract has been approved by the Court of Auditors and now it remains to go through Parliament and be signed. Sources close to the matter estimate that the project will be signed within the next two months.

The contractor of the project is AVAX, which won the relevant tender by giving a discount of 11.2%. In the tender process, the consortium TERNA-MYTILINEOS and the consortium INTRAKAT-RAILWAY WORKS  had also submitted bids, which had respectively given 7.5% and 8%. The Contracting Authority is ERGOSE.

Together with the electrification project in the Larissa-Volos section which has been signed, they are the two projects that will upgrade the Thessalian Railway and strengthen rail transport in the wider region. ERGOSE has also signed this year the projects for Phase B of the Athens Central Station and electrification in the Kiato-Aigio section. The project to complete the Aegio-Rio line is also in an advanced tender.

A precursor project

The project to install an electrification system on a length of 81.4 kilometers of the single line between Paleofarsalos and Kalambaka is going to change the railway transport in Western Thessaly upon its completion. At the same time, it is the harbinger of the future extension of the railway to Kozani and Igoumenitsa with the OSE studies being just around the corner. The duration of the projects is set at 30 months and if the works start within 2022, its completion is possible in 2025.

The project has a budget of 72.80 million euros (amount with VAT, amount without VAT 58.7 million euros) and concerns the implementation of an electrification system with single-phase alternating current 25 kV/50Hz, on the renovated Paleofarsalos-Kalambaka railway line which has a total length 81.4 km. about. Administratively, it belongs to the region of Thessaly and passes through the regional units of Larissa, Karditsa and Trikala. In general, the railway section for which electrification is being studied connects the main railway network (Athens – Thessaloniki – abroad) with the whole of the western Thessalian plain.

The new features of the line

The whole section will be fully electrified and will include modern Signaling and Telecommunication systems, as well as ETCS automatic train protection that will lead to an increase in the level of safety and comfort of movement along the railway line, an increase in movement speed and a minimization of delays , making the specific railway section a family member of the rest of the European Railway Networks.

The project is co-financed by the NSRF 2014-2020 and specifically through the OP YME-PERAA. It relates to the installation of ETCS (European Train Control System) electrification, signaling – remote control and automatic train protection systems of the existing 81.4 km long Palaiofarsalo – Kalambaka single railway line. with measurement Piraeus – Plati (km position 0+000.00 with measurement Palaiofarsalos – Kalambaka) and ends at km position 80+441.00, at the end of  Kalambaka Railway Station.

With the completion of the project, the speeds that the train will be able to develop will be of the order of 160 km/h and the Athens-Kalambaka route will take approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes, a record time considering that today it takes almost 5 hours. The same beneficial time reduction will be experienced by the 2 large urban centers of the region as the train will arrive in Karditsa in 2 hours and 20 minutes and in Trikala in 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Essentially, the train will function as a Suburban Railway for the Paleofarsalos-Karditsa-Trikala-Kalambaka area, serving the daily needs of thousands of passengers, but also giving a boost to tourism in the area, which has been growing steadily in recent years.

The identity of the project

Briefly, the scope of the Project in tender concerns:

The construction of electrification, signaling – remote control and the ETCS L1 system of the existing single standard gauge Railway Line Palaiofarsalos – Kalambaka.

Specifically:

– The construction of an electronic signaling system with remote control from the Larissa traffic control center for the signaling security of the line as well as in the installation of an automatic train protection system ETCS level 1 (level 1). of the S.S. line Paleofarsalo to S.S. Kalambakas.

– The implementation of an electromotive system (overhead contact line 25 kV/50Hz, a Traction Power Substation 2X15 MVA), and remote control (SCADA), of the S.S. line. Paleofarsalo to S.S. Kalambakas and the adaptation of the new electrification system with the existing neighboring facilities.

– The construction of the necessary telecommunication systems.

– The completion of the fencing of the railway line.

– The addition of a needle rolling system (roller bearings – roller) to the track changes that will be included in the signaling system.

– The construction of a railway line infrastructure and superstructure with the conventional method of screed (railways on screeds) in the area of ​​Sofades, where a 650m long overpass line (bypass) will be constructed (approx. km position 14+250 – km position 14+900).

– The construction of a wharf in the area of ​​Sofades to serve the public, of similar dimensions to the existing one and in the installation of lighting and two elevators on the existing pedestrian bridge.

In detail 

– The renovation or small-scale repair works in the areas of the existing buildings of the S.S. Sofadon, Karditsa, Trikala and Kalambaka, where the necessary signaling and electrification equipment will be housed. The planned works mainly concern internal configurations and arrangements, maintenance and restoration of coverings, finishes and insulation, replacement of frames and E/M installations.

– The installation of electric heating of track changes in the changes of S.S. Palaiofarsalo with their supply from the Aerial Contact Line.

– The replacement of 38 existing Automatic level crossing systems and the addition of an additional ALCS to the km posiiton 61+250.

– The CE verification of the “energy” and “control-control and signaling” subsystems of the S.S. line. Paleofarsalo to S.S. Kalambakas

– The CE verification of the “infrastructure” subsystem for the 650m long overpass line (bypass) and the dock at S.S. Sofadon.

– The submission of technical files that will accompany the above verifications, on the basis of which the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) will grant the approval to put the relevant subsystems into operation. The contractor is obliged to provide any clarification or additional information requested or to complete the submitted files, if required by RAS, at no additional cost.

The beginning of the Project is placed at the Paleofarsalos station and the end at the Kalambaka station.

The total length of the axis of the existing single railway line Paleofarsalos – Kalambaka is 80.4 kilometers.