Thessaloniki Metro
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| Overview | |||
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| Native name | Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης | ||
| Owner | Attiko Metro A.E. | ||
| Locale | Thessaloniki Urban Area | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit/Light metro | ||
| Number of lines | 4 | ||
| Number of stations | 18 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Operation will start | 2020 | ||
| Number of vehicles | 18 AnsaldoBreda Driverless Metro | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 9.6 km (6.0 mi) (2018) 33 km (21 mi) (when finished) |
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| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
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The Thessaloniki Metropolitan Railway (Greek: Μητροπολιτικός Σιδηρόδρομος Θεσσαλονίκης Metropolitikós Sideródromos Thessaloníkes), or Thessaloniki Metro (Greek: Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης Metró Thessaloníkis), is an underground rapid transit system that is under construction in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The first to suggest an underground railway system for Thessaloniki was Ernest Hébrard during the redesign of the city in the early 1920s, to allow easy access from the city's downtown to the planned outskirts of the city (now Kalamaria).
The idea for constructing a metro was only seriously considered in the 1980s and it took almost 20 years for the official groundbreaking works to start. This was due to a series of failed contract competitions and several appeals against awarded contracts. A previous attempt to construct an underground mass transit system in Thessaloniki took place in 1986-1988, when a short cut-and cover tunnel was constructed along a part of Egnatia Avenue near the University, but failed because it was underfunded.
The construction of the much awaited Thessaloniki metro started in June 2006 and should be completed by 2018. The project has been substantially delayed by significant archeological discoveries during its construction which have been responsible for delaying the project for up to three years or more.
The first phase of the project consists of 9.6 kilometres (6.0 mi) of underground line (with twin tunnels), 13 stations along its length, and a depot at the southeast end of the line. The total budget for the project is about 1.1 billion euro. Part of the budget (€250 million) is funded from the 3rd CSF and a loan for €250 million has been arranged with the European Investment Bank.
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