Thessaloniki Metro (New Railway Station – Nea Elvetia, Kalamaria extension to Mikra)
Driverless underground metro in twin single-track tunnels, built for the state by Attiko Metro (now Elliniko Metro). The 9.6 km base line with 13 stations runs from the New Railway Station under Egnatia Street to Nea Elvetia, with a depot at Pylaia. Its contract was signed on 7 April 2006 and works began at the end of June 2006; archaeological finds and the financial crisis pushed the opening from a planned October 2012 to 30 November 2024. The 4.78 km Kalamaria extension leaves the base line at the Patrikiou junction east of 25 Martiou and adds five stations (Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini, Mikra). Aktor signed its construction contract on 26 June 2013, work sites opened in 2014, and it opened on 27 August 2026, with Line 2 trains running from the New Railway Station to Mikra over the base-line track as far as 25 Martiou. The system has 18 stations. The EIB lent €650 million for the base line, and both parts were co-funded by EU operational programmes of the 2007–2013 and 2014–2020 periods.
- Total length
- 14 km
- Open today
- 14 km
- Sections
- 2
- Cost on record
- €518.213M
- 1 of 2 sections carry a comparable figure
Restated into EUR at 2025 prices.
Sections
| Sections | Status | Length | Timeline | Cost | Funding | Contractors | Contract terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base line: New Railway Station – Nea Elvetia 9.6 km of twin single-track tunnel with 13 stations (New Railway Station, Dimokratias, Venizelou, Agia Sofia, Sintrivani/Expo, Panepistimio, Papafi, Efklidis, Fleming, Analipsi, 25 Martiou, Voulgari, Nea Elvetia) and the Pylaia depot. The contract with the AEGEK – Impregilo – Ansaldo T.S.F. – SELI – AnsaldoBreda joint venture was signed on 7 April 2006 and construction began at the end of June 2006, aiming at October 2012. On 6 December 2017 Aktor ATE replaced AEGEK and SELI in the joint venture. The line opened on 30 November 2024. Elliniko Metro gives the approved budget of the co-funded operation as €1,534 million excluding VAT (€719 million for Project 1, €815 million for Project 2, including 24 trains). The original contract value is omitted because published figures disagree. | Opened | 10 km |
| – |
|
| – |
| Kalamaria extension: Patrikiou junction – Mikra 4.78 km of underground twin-tunnel line from Patrikiou, between 25 Martiou and Voulgari on the base line, to Mikra, with five stations: Nomarchia, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and Mikra. Financial offers were opened on 24 December 2012, with Aktor first at €311.95 million; the award was approved on 25 June 2013 and the base contract (€400 million) signed the next day, when Attiko Metro gave the overall budget as €518 million and commissioning was foreseen for 2018. Work sites opened in 2014. The contract's completion date of 18 December 2019 was not met, and further contracts for systems and 15 new trains followed. It opened on 27 August 2026. Elliniko Metro now gives the approved budget as €570 million excluding VAT, including nine trains. | Opened | 5 km |
| – |
|
| Contract value €400M |
Contractor roles are as recorded in the award. Only builders count toward the delivery rankings.
Funding
- Loan14 km2 sections
- EIB facility of €650 million approved in 2005, completed with a €250 million tranche signed on 14 July 2009, for the 9.6 km first phase, its 13 stations, depot, systems and rolling stock
- Attiko Metro states the extension is funded by the European Investment Bank; no amount is published for it
- European Union14 km2 sections
- Co-funded as a phased operation: Project 1 bridged the 3rd CSF 2000–2006 and NSRF 2007–2013; Project 2 was funded under the Regional Operational Programme Macedonia–Thrace (NSRF 2007–2013) and the Operational Programme Infrastructure, Environment, Sustainable Development (NSRF 2014–2020)
- Phased operation: Regional Operational Programme Macedonia–Thrace (NSRF 2007–2013, phase A) and Operational Programme Infrastructure, Environment, Sustainable Development (NSRF 2014–2020, phase B)
- National budget10 km1 section
A section that lists two sources counts its full length under each: the data records which sources paid, not what share each one carried.
Related projects
- RailwaysFrontieră – Curtici – Simeria railway rehabilitation (Corridor IV)Same contractor: Aktor, Webuild
- HighwaysA3 Struma MotorwaySame contractor: Aktor
- HighwaysA1 Motorway Athens – Thessaloniki – Evzonoi (PATHE)Same contractor: Aktor
- HighwaysA2 Egnatia Odos (Igoumenitsa – Kipoi)Same contractor: AEGEK
- HighwaysA8 Olympia Odos MotorwaySame contractor: Aktor
- HighwaysBOAK Northern Crete Motorway (Kissamos – Agios Nikolaos)Same contractor: Aktor
Sources
- Wikipedia: Thessaloniki Metroread Sep 28, 2026
- Βικιπαίδεια: Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκηςread Sep 28, 2026
- Elliniko Metro: Thessaloniki Metro, Historyread Sep 28, 2026
- Elliniko Metro: Thessaloniki Metro, Funding (base line and extension to Kalamaria)read Sep 28, 2026
- Elliniko Metro: Project Progress, Extension to Kalamariaread Sep 28, 2026
- Elliniko Metro: THESSALONIKI METRO, Signing of the contract for the construction of the extension to Kalamaria (26 June 2013)read Sep 28, 2026
- Attiko Metro: Thessaloniki Metro, History (archived 2 December 2008)read Sep 28, 2026 · archived copy
- Railway Gazette International: Long-awaited Thessaloniki metro opensread Sep 28, 2026
- Ypodomes.com: Στην ΑΚΤΩΡ πέρασε επίσημα το έργο του Μετρό Θεσσαλονίκης (8 December 2017)read Sep 28, 2026
- European Investment Bank press release BEI/09/143: EIB promotes quality of life in Thessaloniki with EUR 650 million for the city metro (14 July 2009)read Sep 28, 2026
- News247: Thessaloniki Metro: The Kalamaria extension officially opens today (27 August 2026)read Sep 28, 2026
- Parallaxi Magazine: Μετρό Καλαμαριάς: 15 χρόνια για 4.78 χιλιόμετρα και 26 λεπτά (27 August 2026)read Sep 28, 2026
- OpenStreetMap contributors (geometry, ODbL)
Figures last checked against their sources in Sep 28, 2026.