Thessaly: AKTOR is the underbidder for the electrification of Paleofarsalos – Kalambaka railway section

AKTOR’s major “counter-attack” on railway projects goes on. According to secure information, AKTOR has also won the tender for the large electrification systems installation project on Paleoparsalos – Kalambaka railway section with a length of 81.4 km. According to the same sources, the discount was 46.04%. TERNA provided a discount of 37.75%, ALSTOM -SIDIRODROMIKA ERGA, 37.02% and INTRAKAT – COLAS RAIL ITALY Spa – INTRACOM, 26.33%. The tender was launched on October 11th.

The duration of the construction works is set at 30 months and if they start in 2019, the completion of the project could be possible in 2022. In total, along with the maintenance period, the project has a duration of 66 months.

The project has a budget of 54.16m euros (VAT incl., excl. VAT: 43.68m euros) and concerns the installation of a single phase electrification system, AC with a voltage of 25 kV / 50Hz on the renovated Paleoparsalos – Kalambaka railway line. Administratively the line passes through the Region of Thessaly (Larissa, Karditsa and Trikala). The specific railway section also connects the main railway corridor of the country (Athens – Thessaloniki – Borders) with the entire Western part of Thessaly Plain.

Implementing entity of the project is ERGOSE while the financing was approved by the Region of Thessaly and NSRF (the project is co-funded by NSRF 2014-2020 and an initial approval was provided allowing the relevant tender to begin). The whole section will be fully electrified and will be acquire modern signalling and telecommunication systems as well as ETCS automatic rolling stock protection system, which will increase the level of safety and comfort of travel along the railway line, as well as train speed, thus minimizing delays and upgrading the rail section to an equivalent level to other European Railway Networks.

With the completion of the project, trains will be able to develop speeds of around 160 km/h, reducing time distance between Athens and Kalambaka to approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes (today it takes almost 5 hours). A significant time reduction (starting from Athens) will be observed in Thessaly’s 2 largest urban areas, in Karditsa (2 hours and 20 minutes and in Trikala (2 hours and 40 minutes). Essentially, the train will also function as a Suburban Railway Line, between Lamia – Paleoparsalos – Karditsa – Trikala and Kalambaka, covering the daily needs of thousands of passengers, as well as boosting the region’s tourism that has been experiencing a great development over the recent years.

 

Nikos Karagiannis-ypodomes.com