The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Municipality of Patras agreed on the high-speed railway

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and the Municipality of Patras had reached an agreement on the issue of the new double high-speed railway line from Rio to the New Port of Patras.

At yesterday’s meeting between the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Costas Karamanlis and the Mayor of Patras, Costas Peletidis, agreed on the underground layout presented at the recent development conference of the Peloponnese newspaper, which provides for a 5.16km underground line that will start from Kanellopoulou street and will end at new port of Patras.

As it became known by Mr. Karamanlis in the yesterday’s press briefing, Mr. Peletidis requested an additional 1.6 km of underground expansion in the section Rio-Kanellopoulou.

The minister replied to the Mayor of Patras that he treats the request positively and instructed ERGOSE to investigate this possibility but did not promise that it could be done as the necessary funds must be found, among other things.

As the Minister said, this is the minimum for the city of Patras, but also the maximum that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has achieved so far, which was positively assessed by the Mayor of Patras.

The funds for the 5.16 km long underground passage (Kanellopoulou – Ag. Andreas street), as Mr. Karamanlis said, have been secured and the project will proceed immediately. It was agreed to open a channel between the Municipality of Patras and ERGOSE and in this context the process of discussion on technical and financial issues begins.

During the discussion, a common will was expressed to satisfy the request of the people of Patras, and on this basis, both the Mayor and the Minister expressed the desire for cooperation.

The meeting also discussed the projects in the section from Psathopyrgos to Rio, which had been suspended. The Ministry of Infrastructure informed that the projects are starting again and any problems that have arisen will be resolved. The renovations requested by the Municipality of Patras in Rio will also proceed.

Regarding the extension of the suburban to Kato Achaia, the Ministry in cooperation with TRAINOSE and the Municipality is trying to resolve some issues that caused delays and that up to this day make the operation in this section unprofitable.