| Thessaloniki Metro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) New Railway Station, the terminus of both lines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Native name | Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Elliniko Metro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Thessaloniki,Greece | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transit type | Rapid transit | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of lines | 1[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of stations | 13[b] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily ridership | 74,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Annual ridership | 27 million[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began operation | 30 November 2024; 14 months ago (2024-11-30)[c] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | Thessaloniki Metro Automatic (THEMA)[d] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Character | Underground | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of vehicles | 18Hitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro,[3] 15 more on order[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Headway | 3.5minutes[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System length | 9.6 km (6.0 mi) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification | 750 V DC third rail[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top speed | 80 km/h (50 mph)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thessaloniki Metro (Greek:Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης,listenⓘ) is an undergroundrapid-transit system inThessaloniki,Greece's second largest city. The system consists of a single line with13 stations; a further 5 stations are under construction for Line 2. It is fully automated anddriverless, the first system of its kind in Greece, and is operated by Thessaloniki Metro Automatic (THEMA), aFranco-Italianconsortium.
Estimates for the cost of themegaproject are at€3 billion ($3.34 billion today), including€600 million ($670 million) in future interest payments. The project is primarily funded with loans from theEuropean Investment Bank (EIB) and theEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as funds from theGreek government. Construction by a Greco-Italian consortium is overseen byElliniko Metro, the Greek state-owned company which oversaw the construction of theAthens Metro andAthens Tram.
Proposed during the 1910s and first seriously planned in the 1980s, construction of the main line began in 2006 and on the Kalamaria extension in 2013. After years of delays, due to archaeological discoveries and theGreek financial crisis, the 9.6 km (6.0 mi)Line 1 opened on 30 November 2024, withLine 2 expected to add a further 4.8 km (3.0 mi) of tunnels and 5 more stations to the system in February 2026.
The system is commonly known as the Thessaloniki Metro (Greek:Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης,romanized: Metró Thessaloníkis,[meˈtroθesaloˈnicis],listenⓘ), but is sometimes also referred to by the more formal name ofThessaloniki Metropolitan Railway (Greek:Μητροπολιτικός Σιδηρόδρομος Θεσσαλονίκης,romanized: Mitropolitikós Sidiródromos Thessaloníkis,listenⓘ).[4]
underground alongEgnatia street, but becomes
overground beyond theUniversity.[5]Ernest Hébrard andThomas Hayton Mawson were the first to propose the creation of a metro system in Thessaloniki in 1918 as part of a commission appointed by the government ofEleftherios Venizelos to redesign the city after theGreat Fire of 1917, which had devastated the city centre.[6] They proposed an underground railway to connect theNew Railway Station and Nea Elvetia, terminus for a proposed railway connectingMikra and theStrymonic Gulf.[7][8] Although Thessaloniki has grown considerably since Hébrard's original design,Line 1 is almost identical to his plan and runs from his proposednew railway station to the suburb of Nea Elvetia.[9][10]
A circular metro line was proposed in 1968, extending tothe airport and crossing theThermaic Gulf in a tunnel.[5] The projects never materialised. The Thessaloniki chapter of theTechnical Chamber of Greece started considering a metro system in 1976,[11] the same year a funding code for the project was incorporated into the national budget underKonstantinos Karamanlis.[12] In 1978, Savvas Pylarinos, governor of theThessaloniki region, recommended that a metro be incorporated into thecity plan.[13]
The idea of a metro was revived in the late 1980s, after a more than three-fold increase in car use over the preceding decade.[14] In 1987, theUniversity of Thessaloniki Transport Engineering Laboratory, under Vasilios Profillidis, published a proposal for an extensive, multi-branchlight metro system, envisioned to be underground only between the New Railway Station andSintrivani, at a cost of₯28 billion ($573 million today).[14] The city government, underMayorSotiris Kouvelas, adopted a modified version of this plan a year later.[15] The line was almost identical to the modern line, with 14 stations between theNew Railway Station andNea Elvetia.[16][better source needed] The plan had one additional station, Patrikiou, between25 Martiou andVoulgari and had alternative names for three stations.Dimokratias is shown as Vardari, an alternative name for the public square served by the station;Venizelou is listed as Alkazar (the name ofHamza Bey Mosque when it was converted into a cinema), andEfkleidis is shown asArchaeological Museum.[17] The network would be within the city limits, excludingKalamaria and a large portion ofThessaloniki's metropolitan area. Of the 7.77 km (4.83 mi) of track proposed, 6.26 km (3.89 mi) would be underground and 1.51 km (0.94 mi) above ground.[16][better source needed]
In 1989, construction began on the first 650 metres (2,130 ft) of tunnel alongEgnatia street between theThessaloniki International Fair grounds andAristotle University of Thessaloniki (the presentPanepistimio station),[17] under the sloganYes to the metro! Yes to quality of life! (Greek:Ναι στο μετρό! Ναι στην ποιότητα ζωής!).[16][better source needed] Construction was carried out with thecut-and-cover method instead of atunnel boring machine and was costed at a minimum of₯120 billion ($2.3 billion today).[17]
The line was designed to be only 2 metres (6.6 ft) below the road surface, but dropped to a minimum depth of 7 metres (23 ft) in the city centre at the insistence of the city's archaeological services.[17][18] Although construction was scheduled to end in 1995, the project stalled and the unfinished (but excavated) initial cut-and-cover section became known as "the hole of Kouvelas" (Greek:η τρύπα του Κούβελα).[17] The water damage caused to the foundations of the nearby Polytechnic School by the excavation works persists to the present day, with water needing to be mechanically drained daily.[17]
The project ultimately failed due to funding issues and a lack of interest fromthe central government. A delegation from the city government received technical support from metro companies inMarseille,Düsseldorf, andWest Berlin, as well as assurances from the leadership of theEuropean Economic Community inBrussels that the project would be eligible for Community funding, but the central government blocked the talks and proposed atram network instead.[19] Kouvelas resigned as mayor in order to becomeMinister for Public Works in the national government after the1989 elections, and made Thessaloniki's newly-created municipal radio station,FM 100, responsible for the project's funding via ad revenue.[19] He later admitted being aware it would not be an adequate source of funding, and claimed it was done to force the central government into funding the project.[20] The project also suffered due to intensepolitical polarisation betweenNew Democracy (of which Kouvelas was a member) and thePanhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) during the 1980s,[21] with the PASOK-led neighbouring municipalities ofKalamaria and the western suburbs also refusing to support the project,[22] leading to a metro design that ran exclusively within the limits of theNew Democracy-dominatedMunicipality of Thessaloniki (the modernLine 1).[22]
In 1992 the government ofKonstantinos Mitsotakis attempted to finance the project under aconcession contract with a contractor budget of₯65 billion ($766 million today).[17][23] His government lost the1993 Greek legislative election and a contractor was not appointed; Kouvelas, by then Minister of the Presidency, later claimed this was done in order to avoid impressions ofclientelism in the outgoing government.[24] A Greco-Italian consortium named Makedoniko Metro (Greek:Μακεδονικό Μετρό)[note 1] was tentatively appointed in 1994.[26] A runner-up consortium, headed byBouygues, was also appointed at that time.[27] Completion was set for 2006, in time for the city to hostExpo 2008, but its bid was ultimately unsuccessful.[28] The consortium changed composition numerous times;[note 2][note 3] the three Italian companies went bankrupt,[25] and in the end it was composed of Greek, German, and Belgian stakeholders.[29][note 4]
Internal reports indicate that the government believed the feasibility study carried out by Makedoniko Metro was unrealistic both in terms of buildability and financing,[31] and so in 1996 the Greek government annulled the appointment and called for the runner-up consortium,Bouygues-led Thessaloniki Metro (Greek:Θεσσαλονίκη Μετρό),[32][note 5][note 6] to take on the project.[29] The design was altered to a fully underground system, with 3 km (1.9 mi) in deep tunnels and 6.33 km (3.93 mi) using cut-and-cover, for a total system length of 9.33 km (5.80 mi),[27] 1.56 km (0.97 mi) longer than the previous design. The budget also nearly doubled to₯220 billion ($1.1 billion today), of which₯67 billion would be provided directly by the Greek state (jointly through the state budget and theEuropean Regional Development Fund);[32] the EU portion of the funds was conditional on the project being economically viable enough to also attract private funding.[34] A further ₯6 billion would be provided annually to subsidise the agreed ticket price of ₯200 ($1 today).[32]
Negotiations were officially terminated on 29 November 1996; the government claimed that companies making up the Makedoniko Metro consortium would not take full responsibility for the construction and operation of the work, that the company had attempted to change the agreed ticket price (to includeVAT), and that it would not accept liability for the ₯10 billion in preparatory works.[32] Government memos indicate that the government viewed both its own past actions, as well as those of the Makedoniko Metro management, as "uncouth".[31] Makedoniko Metro challenged the matter at theEuropean Commission, and the project stalled.[35] It eventually sued the Commission for over a billioneuros in damages.[25] TheEuropean Ombudsman,Jacob Söderman, carried out a two-year investigation into the matter, the most complicated in his office's history, and sided with Makedoniko Metro on the issue of inadequate communication on the part of the Commission,[36][37] but otherwise rejected its legal arguments.[25]
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 Judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Communities in the case C-57/01Makedoniko Metro v Elliniko Dimosio |
The government ofCostas Simitis campaigned for the construction of the metro as one of its national infrastructure priorities in the2000 election.[38] With the contract commencement deadline approaching in 2002, Thessaloniki mayorVasilis Papageorgopoulos, along with representatives from 130 city-based organisations, requested an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Simitis as well as thePresident of Greece, and threatened amass rally to protest the potential cancellation of the project.[35] A9-month extension was granted in late 2002 to allow time for the courts to examine the claims of Makedoniko Metro;[35] in January 2003 theEuropean Court of Justice found that the termination of Makedoniko Metro's appointment had been compliant withEU law,[23] while a second ruling a year later found that the Commission had acted lawfully.[25] At the same time, Kouvelas complained at the double standards used for the construction of theAthens Metro, claiming that Thessalonians had spent more of their taxes to subsidise the metro in Athens than it would have cost to build a metro in Thessaloniki.[39] The negative "everything is done in Athens, for Athens" perception resulting from the lack of progress on the metro was acknowledged by internal government briefings.[40] The contract was terminated in 2002 due to a lack of funds associated with the tunnels being deeper than originally planned.[17]
With the failure of theconcession model, in September 2003 theMinistry of the Environment, Urban Planning and Public Works underVasso Papandreou decided to tender the metro as apublic work,[41] co-financed by the Greek government, theEuropean Union'sRegional Development Fund, and loans from theEuropean Investment Bank (whose vice-president at the time, Plutarchos Sakellaris, was aThessaloniki native).[42]Attiko Metro, the state-owned company which oversaw the construction of theAthens Metro, had itsarticles of association amended to enable it to oversee construction of the Thessaloniki Metro as well.[43] AGreco-Italian consortium[note 7] was appointed on 7 April 2006 and construction began in June of the same year.[41] The budget was set to€1.05 billion (€1.6 billion or$1.73 billion today).[41]
In 2018,Elliniko Metro S.A. was overseeing the construction of a two-line, twin-tunnel system composed ofLine 1 (the base project) andLine 2 (the Kalamaria Extension). Although Line 1 has been delayed by extensive archaeological works, Line 2's construction is proceeding on schedule.[9] Construction of tunnels for both lines was finished in 2018, and track-laying began in August of that year.[44] Line 1 and Line 2 were expected to be operational by December 2023.[45] Both lines are designed to serve a minimum of 18,000 passengers per hour in each direction, with a 90-secondheadway.[46][47] The completed metro will reduce Thessaloniki'sgreenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 5,000 tons a year, and reduce travel time by up to 66 percent.[48]
What is known as the Base Project (Greek:Βασικό Έργο) began in 2003, when Attiko Metro and the Greek government agreed to cooperate on apublic works project[49] Government support was instrumental, since lack of government support for the 1988 proposal was the primary reason it had failed. The project issued arequest for tender in 2004–2005, and the successful Greco-Italian consortium (which includedAnsaldoBreda) began construction in late June 2006.[49] An alternate consortium, Macedonian Metro (Greek:Μακεδονικό Μετρό), was barred by theEuropean Court of Justice from participating in the tender because it changed its composition after the tender proceedings began (violatingEU law).[50]
The project was budgeted at€1.05 billion ($1.19 billion), with 25 percent funding from the Greek government and 75 percent funded by loans from theEuropean Investment Bank and theEuropean Regional Development Fund.[51] The latest available Attiko Metro financial data put the official estimated cost at€1.28 billion ($1.45 billion).[52] An April 2019 update raised the estimated cost to €1.62 billion ($1.83 billion).[53] Line 1 runs within themunicipality of Thessaloniki, the core of theThessaloniki urban area, calling at 13 stations.
It has two parallel single-track tunnels on a 9.5 km (5.9 mi) route betweenNew Railway Station (for the city'smain railway station) andNea Elvetia, withPylaia depot further southeast. Although construction began in 2006, major archaeological finds in the city centre delayed the project considerably. Disputes between Attiko Metro, the city council and archaeologists reached Greece'sCouncil of State, the country's highest administrative court, in 2015.[9] The original schedule had Line 1 operational by 2012.[9] Attiko Metro redesigned several stations in a solution which became known as "antiquities and metro" (Greek:και αρχαία και μετρό).[54] Today, many antiquities discovered due to the construction of the line are on display at permanent in-station exhibitions, while the major discoveries can be found at stationVenizelou. These make up the world's first publicly-accessible open-airarchaeological site containedin situ within a metro station.[54]
Construction of the tunnels was completed on 31 July 2018, 12 years and one month after breaking ground.[55] That day, thearchitectural work on Line 1 was reported as 80 percent finished.[55] In August 2018 installation of the tracks andelectronic signalling equipment began.[44] It was expected that the line would enter service in its entirety, betweenNew Railway Station andNea Elvetia in 2020 but will not stop atAgias Sofias andVenizelou, which were planned to open at a later date.[56][57] By February 2019 construction on the main line was 95 percent completed andplatform screen doors were beginning to be installed, while theSupreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection was planning a competition to fill the first 28 Thessaloniki Metro employee positions.[58]
Despite the progress, in September 2019 Greece'snew conservative cabinet announced a further 28-month delay to the project, pushing the opening date from November 2020 to April 2023 and citing costly archaeological works atVenizelou as the reason.[59] The newMinister of Infrastructure and Transport announced that the government had decided to scrap the previous plan to keep the archaeological discoveriesin situ within the station at Venizelou, choosing instead to disassemble them and re-assemble them at a later stage, noting that excavation costs had exceeded €130 million ($146.86 million), more than the cost of the newAcropolis Museum.[60] Thessaloniki's new conservative mayor,Konstantinos Zervas, as well as Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakis, supported this move. Mitsotakis also announced at theThessaloniki International Fair that a new archaeological museum would be built specifically to house archaeological artefacts unearthed during the construction of the metro. The new head of Attiko Metro (nowElliniko Metro) accused archaeologists of "looking to the past; we need to look forward".[61] There were two more delays, one from April 2023 to December 2023, and one from December 2023 to March 2024.
The decision to disassemble the archaeological finds, dubbed a "ByzantinePompeii",[62][63] was strongly criticised, and a citizens' group has taken the government to court over the issue for a second time, supported by former mayorYiannis Boutaris among others.[64] Part of the objection has to do with the fact that the government has not carried out any studies as to how it will return and re-assemble the artefacts once the station has been built;[64] this course of action was adopted for the construction ofAgias Sofias metro station, where the archaeological discoveries were more significant than those at Venizelou, but the re-assembly of the artefacts on site is now impossible becauseElliniko metro never constructed any space dedicated to the re-assembly of the artefacts it disassembled, despite having promised to do so.[65] In April 2020, theInternational Association of Byzantine Studies (AIEB) wrote to Prime Minister Mitsotakis to protest the removal of the antiquities from their original location, saying that the discoveries constituted "a cultural and scientific jewel" and that "it would be a tragedy to jeopardise [Greece's reputation for monument preservation] by squandering the treasure of the Thessaloniki material and data through an unnecessarily hasty construction project", arguing that the previous decision to leave the discoveries in-situ was preferable.[63]
In acustomer satisfaction survey carried out by theAristotle University of Thessaloniki in the months prior to the inauguration of the metro, the only such survey to be published in apeer reviewed journal, 85% of respondents viewed the construction of the metro positively, but also showed overwhelming support for the notions that poor planning and inefficient management of funds were a cause of the years-long construction delays.[66] It also found low levels of satisfaction with the progress of the works, with only 2.8% saying they were fully or quite satisfied with progress, and 42% being moderately satisfied; overall dissatisfaction was at 68%.[66] A different study found that, even though there was widespread dissatisfaction with the construction works and associated years-long traffic arrangements, as well as the closure of businesses that resulted from these, there was also a high degree of understanding of and support for the city'stransit-oriented development model.[67]
A final opening date forLine 1 was set for noon on 30 November 2024.[68][69][70][71] In preparation for this, a brand identity was unveiled on 13 November 2024,[72] while the final project cost of €3 billion ($3.24 billion), including €600 million ($649 million) in future interest payments, was revealed on 20 November 2024.[71] The line was finally opened on 30 November in a ceremony officiated by Prime MinisterKyriakos Mitsotakis, with no fares to be collected until 4 December,[73] although the cultural and commercial celebrations organised by the Thessaloniki Chamber of Handicrafts were postponed to 4 December due toStorm Bora.[74] The heavy rainfall also caused minor problems on the line, with water leakage in 3 stations and the elevators in 7 stations being out of use.[75][76] Nevertheless, use of the metro in the first few days of fare-free operation was high, with employees needing to deploycrowd control measures to prevent platform overcrowding.[77] The first month of operation resulted in a monthly ridership of one million, a 15% decrease in road traffic, and a simultaneous 30% increase in market traffic for businesses in the city centre.[78]
Line 2 of the Thessaloniki metro, also known asKalamaria Extension (Greek:Επέκταση Καλαμαριάς) extends the metro system toKalamaria, the second-largest municipality in theThessaloniki urban area and the18th-most-populous in Greece. Similar in construction to Line 1, it has two parallel single-track tunnels on a 4.78 km (2.97 mi) route between25 Martiou andMikra and adds five stations to the network.[49] Construction on the project began in 2013, with a budget of€518 million ($585.18 million).[51][49] By 31 July 2018, the extension was 60 percent completed.[55] Although construction began seven years after Line 1, it is expected to fully enter service just a year after Line 1, on 30 November 2025.[79] This is due to the lack of major archaeological works, enabling the project to proceed without delays.[9] The latest Elliniko Metro financial statement puts the extension's cost at €568 million ($642 million).[52] An April 2019 update raised the estimated cost to €640 million ($723.01 million).[53] The line is made up of 16 stations, 11 of which are also stations served by Line 1.
After confusion about the extension's place in the system, Elliniko Metro clarified in August 2018 that it would be a separate line running betweenNew Railway Station andMikra without the need to change trains at25 Martiou.[80] The extension of Line 2 toMakedonia Airport went totender in March 2019 with an initial budget of €254,150 ($287,000) fortopographical works in order to enable more detailed planning of the line.[81]
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The extension to the northwestern districts initially included a circular line and was in a preliminary phase[83][84][85] until the fall of 2023 when the management of Elliniko Metro S.A. decided not to proceed with the project, considering it both structurally unfeasible and wrong in design. The project now includes a northwest extension of Line 1 that will start fromDimokratias, will crossStavroupoli andEvosmos, will reach the hospitals at the northwestern entrance of the city, and will end at a second depot of Line 1 situated at the ring road of Thessaloniki. The relevant decisions were announced by Hellenic Metro S.A. on May 20, 2024. The funding process will begin in 2024.[86][87]
The contractor's audit procedures will follow, along with the approval by theCourt of Audit and the signing of the contract with the contractor. The northwestern extension will be a priority among all future extensions of the Thessaloniki Metro and will include the following stations:
The tender for the northwestern extension is expected to be completed by 2027.[90]
Topographic works, geological and geotechnical studies are currently being tendered for the project.[83]This extension will start fromMikra and will continue to the south, with an underground part fromMikra to ASP (Higher School of War), an overground part to Georgikis Scholi Avenue and another overground part fromIKEA to the airport.[91] The overground parts of the line will probably stand at a height of 5 meters and on abridge in order to avoid further delays due to possiblearchaeological finds.
The stations of the extension will be:
Line 2 will be extended further toThermi from Patriarchiko, with only one station currently planned.
On May 20, 2024, projected Line 3 was officially announced, as connection of the western with the northeastern districts of the city has been deemed necessary. Line 3 will run underTsimiski avenue and parallel to Line 1, which will eventually meet at University station. However, from that station, it will head northeast.
The stations of Line 3 will be:
Line 3 is further projected to include extensions toKTEL Macedonia andKordelio. Breaking from theAmpelokipi station, this extension will include the following stations:
In 2023Azienda Trasporti Milanesi andEgis Group were awarded a€250 million ($279 million) contract to operate the system under the operating company Thessaloniki Metro Automatic (THEMA) for 11 years, with a share of 51% and 49% respectively.[98]
The Thessaloniki Metro is ofGoA4 category,[99] the first of its kind inGreece, as starting, stopping, and the operation of doors is fully automated without any on train staff.
All stations were designed withplatform screen doors for maximum protection, while the trains aredriverless.[46] EighteenHitachi Rail Italy Driverless Metro units are in service on Line 1, and 15 will be on Line 2.[46] Thearticulated, four-car trains are 50 metres (160 ft) long.[100] They have seating for 96 passengers and standing room for 370 more.[100] The trains use 750VDCthird rail electrification, while tracks have been laid to thestandard gauge of1,435 mm (4 ft8+1⁄2 in).[46] A carriage was on display at the September 2018Thessaloniki International Fair before trial runs in 2019.[101] As of August 2019 two complete train sets have been delivered to the depot, with an additional train set expected every 2 to 3 months.[102] The system's level of automation has prompted Attiko Metro to call it "the most modern metro in Europe".[49]
A 50,000 m2 (540,000 sq ft) depot was constructed with the intention of serving both lines, with a total built-up area of 120,000 m2 (1,300,000 sq ft) and a total cost of €130.5 million ($147.43 million).[49][103] Apart from being the system's automated remote control command centre, the complex also houses the offices of Elliniko Metro, theThessaloniki Transport Authority (TheTA), and the Thessaloniki Metro operating company, as well as railway stock maintenance facilities, two restaurants, and acrèche.[104][105] It is expected that the development of the depot will attract investment to the area, and there have been calls to make provisions for a passenger station at the depot.[104] The depot complex is expected to be finished in May 2019.[105]
Basic | Reduced | |
|---|---|---|
| single trip | €0.60 | €0.30 |
| 24 hours | €2.50 | n/a |
| 30 days | €16.00 | €8.00 |
| 90 days | €45.00 | €22.50 |
| 180 days | €85.00 | €42.50 |
| 10+1 | €5.80 | €2.90 |
 Front face of a ThessCard | ||
As part of the initial design, 3,700park and ride parking spaces were created – 1,050 spaces atNew Railway Station, 650 spacesNea Elvetia, and a further 2,000 atPanepistimio, the system's halfway point serving Greece'slargest university.[49] Additional parking will be created atMikra, the terminus of Line 2.[107]
Elliniko Metro conducted a 2005 survey to determine Thessaloniki residents' preferred fare for the metro compared to the standard price of aThessaloniki Urban Transport Organization (OASTH) bus ticket (€0.50 at the time). Of the 400 respondents, 47.6 percent said that they were willing to pay the same price and 48.1 percent said they would pay more. Of the latter, 19.9 percent said that they would pay €0.60; 19.6 percent would pay €0.70, and 8.6 percent would be willing to pay €1.00 (double the cost of a bus ticket).[108] The remaining 4.7 percent responded with another fare. A standard 2023 single-trip OASTH bus ticket is €0.90, or €0.45 with a discount.[109]
Thessaloniki Metro utilises anelectronic card ticketing system as well asfare gates,[110] a system not originally implemented on the Athens Metro. In October 2024 it was reported that there was concern the ticketing system might not be ready on time for the opening on 30 November, due to theThessaloniki Transport Authority not initiating the procurement process on time.[111] The company attempted to bypass procurement requirements claiming extraordinary circumstances but theCourt of Audit ruled this illegal, saying that the opening date of the metro was not an extraordinary circumstance, and that the size of the order (2.7 million paper tickets and 100,000 plastic cards) necessitated a publicinvitation to tender.[111]
In November 2024 it was announced that a typical ticket will cost €0.90, but the cost will be reduced to €0.60 for the first six months of the system's operations.[112] A monthly ticket will cost €16, compared to €27 for a monthly bus pass for thecity's bus network.[112] This makes Thessaloniki Metro one of the most affordable means of public transport in Europe and the world according to data compiled byCompare the Market Australia, and the cheapest among major cities in the Greek-speaking world.[113]
In preparation for the start of operations on 30 November 2024,Minister of Infrastructure and TransportChristos Staikouras revealed the system's brand identity.[72] The central design element is lowercaseGreek letterM (μ), in theGreek minuscule style used to writeMedieval Greek manuscripts, in reference to the city'sByzantine history.[114] Dark blue was chosen as the main brand colour, tosymbolise stability.[114] TheSIL Open FontCommissioner was chosen for the word 'metro' in the logo, and for promotional materials and signage.[114]
The logo attracted criticism both for its cost and its aesthetics, the latter particularly onsocial media due to its simplicity.[115][116][117] Elliniko Metro initiated two design competitions, with an initial prize of €8,000 ($8,650), but both were cancelled and the contract was instead awarded directly to a company for €30,000 ($32,438).[115] The company retorted that the second competition was cancelled due to not being satisfied with the bids received (8 in total), eventually deciding to award the €30,000 prize money to a company directly in order for the visual identity to be ready on time,[118] while the Architects' Association of Thessaloniki accused the company of deliberately orchestrating the situation in order to give the contract to an "obscure start-up which did not even have a website at the time of its appointment",[119] a situation it described as "a sham process - at the expense of fellow architects and other related professionals (graphic designers, artists) and ultimately the local community" as part of a "long list of direct appointments".[119] The spokesman of theGovernment of Greece described concerns around the brand's aesthetics as "legitimate", but otherwise defended both the design and the companies involved.[120]
In an examination of themetadata on the official branding presentation document published by Elliniko Metro, carried out by+Design Magazine, it was revealed that the document was not originally created by MnMS, the company that Elliniko Metro directly appointed to design the logo, but rather by Palladian, one of the companies which has submitted bids in the competition.[121] The two companies were previously based in the same building in Athens, raising further questions.[121] Elliniko Metro amended the metadata five hours after the official unveiling of the logo, changing among others the name of the author, but had already disseminated the unaltered presentation to media outlets such asNaftemporiki.[121]
The use of colours on the metro lines is inconsistent; in-station maps and platform signage shows Line 1 as red and Line 2 as blue, in line with the brand guidelines,[114] but the official Thessaloniki Metro website shows them as blue and yellow respectively.[122]
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A large number of important archaeological finds, primarilyRoman andearly Christian and Byzantine, have been discovered during the metro's construction. The project triggered the largest archaeological dig innorthern Greek history, covering a 20-square-kilometre (7.7 sq mi) area.[123] Between thenew railway station and Sintrivani/Ekthesi, the metro runs belowEgnatia Street (one of Thessaloniki's main arteries). Egnatia follows the RomanVia Egnatia, which connectedRome andConstantinople as one of the two most important roads in the Roman and Byzantine empires.[124] The portion of the Via Egnatia which passed through Thessaloniki was the city'sDecumanus Maximus (main road), and runs below present-day Egnatia Street at 5.4 metres (18 ft) below ground level.[9]
Although the location of the Via Egnatia in Thessaloniki was known when the metro line was planned, it was uncertain what else was buried nearby. The metro was planned to run at 8 metres (26 ft) below ground, leaving only 2.6 metres (8.5 ft) between it and the ancient road. The discovery of a Byzantine road at Venizelou station was a major archaeological find: 75 metres (246 ft) of the marble-paved and column-lined road was unearthed, with shops, other buildings, and plumbing which one scholar called "the ByzantinePompeii".[62] A crossroads, marked with atetrapylon, was found at Venizelou where the Decumanus Maximus crossed acardo (a north–south road).[125] An additional 22 metres (72 ft) of the same road was discovered at theAgias Sofias station.[125] Issues concerning archaeological finds and the display of artefacts in the metro system are more complex than similar issues surrounding the construction of theNew Acropolis Museum.[125]
Other important discoveries included a headless statue ofAphrodite, fourth-century-ADmosaics, a goldenwreath, abath complex,urban villas, and 50,000 coins.[126][127][128][129] Artifacts from the 1917 fire were also found.[130]
The discovery sparked controversy in Thessaloniki; Attiko Metro wanted to remove the antiquities and re-assemble them elsewhere, and the city's archaeological services wanted the company to alter the depth of the line and the station entrances. The city council sided with the archaeological services in 2015, three years after the metro was originally planned to begin service.[9] MayorYiannis Boutaris took the case to theCouncil of State, Greece's highest administrative court.[131] Attiko Metro redesigned the line, sinking the tunnels to depths from 14 to 31 metres (46 to 102 ft) and providing for mini-museums in the stations similar to theSyntagma metro station in Athens (which houses theSyntagma Metro Station Archaeological Collection).[132] The Venizelou station will contain an openarchaeological site, the world's first metro station to do so.[123][54]
Archaeological costs had increased to €188.5 million ($204 million) by 2023,[133] compared with the original archaeological budget of €15 million ($17 million),[9] and employ 300 archaeologists.[132] Over 300,000 artefacts have been unearthed to date.[123] The archaeological work is being carried out by theMinistry of Culture and Sports' Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities.
In the past, Thessaloniki Metro was regularly the subject of a number of jokes in Greece due to its successive construction and operation delays.[136][137][138][139]News satire websites joked about the situation on numerous occasions with stories such as "Thessaloniki Metro will operate as a Christmas village during the holiday season"[140] and "Strike at the ThessalonikI Metro continues for the 763rd day".[141] It has also been likened to the folk tale of the never-ending construction of thebridge of Arta.[9][142][143]
A fictionalised version ofSintrivani station (under the older name of Sintrivani/Ekthesi) was depicted in the filmThe Bricklayer, which was set in Thessaloniki, prior to the metro system becoming operational; this drew laughter from cinema audiences in the city.[144]
After operation of the metro system began on 30 November 2024, public focus shifted towards its proper use and maintenance.[145]
Σε λίγους μήνες, αποδίδεται στην Θεσσαλονίκη, ο Μητροπολιτικός Σιδηρόδρομος [...].[In a few months, the Metropolitan Railway is being delivered to Thessaloniki [...].]
The plans of this scheme which have been finally prepared by Mr. Thomas H. Mawson, of London, include [...] two railway stations connected by an underground line [...].
Ἐπίσης διὰ πιθανὸν σταθμόν-τέρμα-διὰ μίαν νέαν γραμμὴν ἑνοῦσα τὸν κόλπον Μικροῦ μὲ τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Ὀρφανοῦ. Μεταξὺ τῶν δύο τούτων σταθμῶν προτείνεται ὑπόγειος ἠλεκτρικὸς σιδηρόδρομος ὑπὸ τὴν ὁδὸν Ἰγνατίου ἐπὶ τίνα ἀπόστασιν διὰ σήραγγος καὶ κατόπιν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους. Ἡ γραμμὴ αὐτὴ ὑπολογίζεται ὅτι θὰ γείνη ἡ μεγάλη «Κεντρική της πόλεως» γραμμὴ ἡ ἐξυπηρετοῦσα τὴν μεταφορᾶν τῶν ἐπιβατῶν.[Also by a possible terminus station for a new line connecting the bay of Mikra to the bay of Orphanos. Between these two stations an underground electric railway is proposed under [Egnatia] street, for some length in a tunnel, thereafter at grade. This line is estimated to become the great "Central line" of the city, serving the transportation of passengers.]
Στὸ χωροταξικὸ σχεδιασμὸ ἐνδεικτικὰ ἀναφέρω, ἀντιμετοπίζουμε καὶ θὰ ἀντιμετωπίσουμε προβλήματα ὅπως π.χ. τοῦ Εὐρωλιμένος ἢ τοῦ νοσηλευτικοῦ χωριοῦ, τοῦ "μετρὸ" ἢ τοῦ χονδρεμπορίου [...][Indicatively I will mention that in the urban plan we are facing and will face problems such as, for example, the Europort or the nursing village, the "metro" or wholesale trade [...]]
Η κυβέρνηση πρέπει να είναι ενήμερη του γεγονότος ότι η ποιότητα της Βασικής Τεχνικοοικονομικής Μελέτης, της Μελέτης Βιωσιμότητας καθώς και των αντιστοίχων Τευχών Δημοπράτησης του Έργου, υπολείπεται σημαντικά των αναγκών εντός τέτοια εμβέλοιας έργου. Στις κατ' ιδίαν συζητήσεις διαπίστωσα ότι αυτό είναι γνωστό σε όλους, μηδέ του κ. Λαλιώτη εξαιρουμένου. Εξαιτίας του γεγονότος αυτού το έργο δεν είναι ώριμο ούτε οικονομικά ούτε τεχνικά [...][The government must be aware of the fact that the quality of the Basic Technical-Economic Study, the Feasibility Study and the corresponding Tender Documents of the Work, is considerably below the [standards] required for a work of this magnitude. In my private discussions I came to the realisation that this is known to everybody, including [Minister for Public Works] Mr.Laliotis [el]. For this reason the work is not mature either financially or technically [...]]
The 1994-99 Community support framework for Greece provides for the European Regional Development Fund to part-finance the Thessaloniki metro project only provided it can attract private capital (and is economically viable).
Προτεραιότητά μας είναι η ολοκλήρωση της Εγνατίας, του ΠΑΘΕ, της Αττικής και της Ιονίας Οδού, η γέφυρα Ρίου Αντιρρίου, το Διεθνές Αεροδρόμιο και το Μετρό της Θεσσαλονίκης[Our priority is the completion of theEgnatia,PATHE,Attiki, andIonia motorways, theRio–Antirrio Bridge, theInternational Airport, and the Thessaloniki Metro.]
Τονίζει ακόμη ότι το Μετρό της Αθήνας θα στοιχίζει τελικά 2 τρισ. δραχμές, που προέρχονται εξ ολοκλήρου από τις δημόσιες επενδύσεις και για το οποίο όλοι οι Ελληνες φορολογούμενοι καταβάλλουν το μερίδιό τους. «Οι Θεσσαλονικείς, που αποτελούν το 10% του ελληνικού πληθυσμού, θα πληρώσουν για το Μετρό της Αθήνας 2 τρισ., ποσόν που θα αρκούσε για να γίνει το δικό τους Μετρό, που ακόμη δεν άρχισε».[He notes further that the Athens Metro will cost 2 trillion drachmas in the end, funds which derive exclusively through public investment and for which Greek taxpayers all pay their share. "Thessalonians, who represent 10% of the Greek population, will pay 2 trillion for the Athens Metro, which would have sufficed to build their own Metro, [whose construction] has not yet began.]
1. Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης. Καθυστέρηση – Αμφιβολία υλοποίησης – Όλα γίνονται στην Αθήνα και για την Αθήνα[1. Thessaloniki Metro. Delays – Doubts about [its] completion – Everything is done in Athens and for Athens]
As a native of Thessaloniki, I feel happy and proud to sign this loan today. [...]
Θεμιτή η οποιαδήποτε αντίδραση κάποιου για ένα ζήτημα αισθητικής. Έχει βγάλει εμπεριστατωμένη ανάλυση η εταιρεία που το δημιούργησε. Και η εταιρεία του Μετρό που έκανε την ανάθεση. Είναι απολύτως σύννομα όλα. Είχαμε δύο διαφορετικές περιπτώσεις διαγωνισμών η μια κηρύχθηκε άγονη και οι άλλες υποψηφιότητες δεν μπορούσαν να σταθούν. Υπάρχει δικαιολόγηση από σχετική μελέτη. Δεν μπορώ να κάνω κάποιο άλλο σχόλιο. Το λογότυπο έχει μια σχετική φιλοσοφία.[Any person's reaction to an aesthetic issue is legitimate. The company that created it has done a thorough analysis. And the Metro company that made the appointment. It's all perfectly legal. We had two different cases of contests, one was declared fruitless and the other nominations could not stand. There is justification from a relevant study. I can't offer any further comment. The logo has a related philosophy.][dead link]
Τέλος, χαρακτηριστική είναι η σκηνή που οι ηθοποιοί μπήκαν υποτίθεται στο μετρό της Θεσσαλονίκης όπου το κοινό, δικαιολογημένα, δεν μπόρεσε να κρατηθεί και ξέσπασε σε γέλια.[Finally, the scene where the actors entered the Thessaloniki Metro is typical, at which point the audience, justifiably, could not hold back and burst out laughing.]
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