The high-tech profile of Thessaloniki’s new metro system explained

According to the latest information, Thessaloniki will have the largest Metro depot in South-Eastern Europe. The construction of the basic line may take years, but the new Metro network, with its opening in 2023, will have some important innovations in relation to the  Metro of Athens.

This is a jewel depot for the area of ​​Pylaia that changes the look of the area. Beyond that, it will expand even further and will be the largest depot in the Balkans. The current building installation has 66,000 sq.m. on a plot of 50 acres where 18 trains can park (11 of them have reached the city).

The building is also expected to house the Attiko Metro and OSETH as it will also house the Control Center, one of the most advanced in Europe.

The trains

The trains of the Thessaloniki Metro may be significantly smaller than the “brother” trains of Athens (they will be 51 meters long) but they will be super-automatic and will move based on an electronic system. The absence of drivers means that the passengers will be able to sit in front of the wagon and instead of having the boring view of the sidewalls, they will be able to see the tunnel and the station. It is an innovation that Athens will take many years to see.

Security docks

Metro stations are fascinating but often become places of human tragedy. In the Thessaloniki Metro, in contrast to the Athens Metro, the docks will have security doors. How will they work? During the waiting period, the doors remain closed, giving the impression to the passengers that they are in a closed, safe place.

Upon arrival of the train, as soon as it stops, the doors of the train and the station will be opened at the same time, the passengers will disembark and board, the doors will be closed again and the train will depart.

High tech stations

Thessaloniki Metro stations will be high-tech in terms of aesthetics, appearance, and operation. Their design is more simple but imposing, with continuous rolling to the docks and a strong sense of the geometry of the space. The docks will have public information screens and advanced telematics, while of course there will be lifts. The stations will operate with a modern electronic ticket system.

Two lines on the same level

In Athens, when we want to change line, we change level either upwards or downwards. In the Thessaloniki Metro the first 2 lines will “cooperate”. There will be common stations from the Railway Station to Patrikios. From there the trains will continue either to New Elvetia or to Mikra on the Kalamaria line.

This means that at the common stations, the passengers who travel farther from Patrikios station, should be careful not to choose the next train but the train of the line they want to use to reach their destination.

Over 300,000 passengers daily

The dream of the Thessaloniki Metro, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Attiko Metro want to make it a reality by delivering a line of operation in April 2023. This will largely depend on the decision of the CoC for the VENIZELOU station for the way of managing the antiquities that have been found. The decision is expected to be announced in the coming days.

In any case, with the completion of the construction of the main line and the Kalamaria line in 2024, 313,000 passengers are expected to be served daily. This for the city will mean a reduction in traffic of 57,000 vehicles daily and a reduction of 212 tons of CO2 emissions per day.