Thriasio II Concession Tender Nears Completion – Hellenic Train–Damco to Develop Greece’s Flagship Rail Logistics Park

The tender process for the concession of the property better known as Thriasio II has taken a step forward. As the Deputy Minister of Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, stated at a meeting with journalists the day before yesterday, the concession agreement has now been submitted to the Court of Audit for approval. Once the approval process is completed, the next and final steps will be the signing of the agreement and its ratification by the Hellenic Parliament.

This is the third tender in a row that has been launched since 2022, and with its completion a long cycle of efforts to develop the property will come to an end. It should be recalled that the first tender was attempted in 2019 and the second was launched in 2021, but both ended unsuccessfully. With the operation of Thriasio II, it is expected to further boost the logistics sector in Attica, and especially the Thriasio Plain area, which constitutes the heart of the country’s logistics activity.

The contractor is the Hellenic Train–Damco consortium, which will take over the development of the new freight center in Aspropyrgos, better known as Thriasio II. The property is considered one of the most important assets in Attica. It is located right next to Thriasio I (the Thriasio Freight Center), which is operated by the ETBA VIPE–Goldair consortium. The implementing authority for the project is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

It is the second-largest property in the Attica region, second only to Eleftherios Venizelos Airport. It covers an area of approximately 1,450 stremmas and is owned by OSE (the Hellenic Railways Organization). Railway infrastructure has been built on the site and is already in place, including access roads, a railway marshalling yard, cargo handling areas, customs and office spaces, storage facilities, and other buildings providing supporting services.

Many tens of millions of euros have been invested in the property for the development of railway infrastructure as well as buildings, roads, and related works, and it is intended to be transformed into a modern logistics park.

Project profile

The concession agreement concerns the operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the project, as well as the completion of studies, construction works, and the procurement of equipment for the Thriasio Plain Freight Railway Station and Marshalling Yard (ESSSDI).

Its duration is 360 months (30 years) from the date of signing. This period also includes a phase (to be determined) for the execution of the required works.

With regard specifically to Thriasio II, the works completed to date allow for its basic operation. More specifically, during the first phase of development, core railway and road infrastructure works were carried out, along with networks and electromechanical (E/M) equipment. During the second phase of development, additional railway and road infrastructure works were implemented, as well as networks and E/M equipment, while building works related to railway infrastructure were also completed, together with signaling and electrification works.

For the completion of the entire Thriasio II project, construction works for buildings and the procurement and installation of specialized equipment are still pending. These will be undertaken by the Concessionaire as part of the execution of the Technical Project.

To date, works and activities have been carried out at the ESSSDI with the aim of creating the first fully integrated complex of combined-transport freight station facilities in Greece and of consolidating within it scattered railway activities in the Attica region.

The relevant actions by the competent authorities to achieve this objective began as early as the 1970s, while the first general layout study was prepared during the 1980s. The development works of the above complex implemented to date were carried out in two phases and were co-financed by the Cohesion Fund and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) during the periods 1994–1999 and 2000–2006 (Phase I of development), as well as 2007–2013 (Phase II of development).

The “ESSSDI” refers to the Thriasio Plain Freight Railway Station and Marshalling Yard, owned by OSE S.A. (Hellenic Railways Organization). Railway infrastructure has been constructed and is in place at the site, including access roads, a railway marshalling yard, cargo storage areas, customs and office spaces, and other buildings providing supporting services. The facility is located outside the city planning zone of the Thriasio Plain, within the Municipality of Aspropyrgos, Attica.

It is noted that within the ESSSDI, buildings K1, K2, and K3 have been constructed and are in existence; however, these buildings are not included in the concession.

At Thriasio II, which is being awarded to the Hellenic Train–Damco consortium to be developed into a fully integrated Logistics Park, construction works for buildings as well as the procurement and installation of specialized equipment will be required. These works will be carried out by the Concessionaire within the framework of the implementation of the Technical Project.

In its fully developed form, within the scope of the Concession Agreement to be awarded, the Concession Area is expected to consist of the following functional units / operating areas:

a) Railway System

• Combined Transport Transshipment Area (CTTA)
• Container Handling Area (CHA)
• Wagon Load Transshipment Area (WLTA)
• General Cargo Transshipment Areas (GCTA)
• Vehicle Transshipment Area (VTA)
• Road System
• Administration and Control Center (ACC)
• Liquid Cargo Transshipment Area (LCTA)

Based on the above infrastructure and on international best practices for similar freight terminals, the Concession Area is expected to offer services for trains, wagons, and cargo. The services related to trains and wagons generally concern their routing, marshaling, and parking within the station, as well as other maintenance, repair, and washing services.

The cargo services provided (containers and other cargo) mainly include transshipment and storage, as well as supporting services for containers (stuffing and stripping, repair, washing, etc.).

Finally, a customs office will operate within the Concession Area for imported goods that have not yet undergone customs clearance.

Railway infrastructure exists and is in operation within the Concession Area, and railway servicing services will be provided in accordance with the provisions of the Concession Agreement.

For more details and the complete article in Greek, click here