The Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has announced the completion of the first fully modernized train for Line 1 of the Athens Metro, as part of the fleet rehabilitation program carried out by the Spanish company CAF. The project is part of the most extensive public transport modernization program in the Greek capital in recent decades.
The modernized train was unveiled at the STASY depot in Sepolia, in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who emphasized the importance of investments in urban transport through European funds and the Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The event was attended by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, Secretary General for Transport Stelios Sakaretsios, as well as the directors of the main organizations involved in public transport and infrastructure management in Greece: Antonis Kerastaris, General Director of OASA (Athens Urban Transport Organization), Athanasios Kottaras, General Manager of STASY (operator of the Athens metro, tram, and urban rail networks), Stefanos Agiasoglou, General Manager of OSY (operator of the Athens bus and trolleybus network), and Giannis Papachristou, General Manager of Growthfund, the Greek state’s sovereign wealth fund responsible for managing public holdings and coordinating strategic investments.
In July 2022, STASY signed a EUR 70 million contract with CAF to modernize 14 trains on Line 1, one of the oldest metro lines in Europe. These trains entered service between 1983 and 1985, and the modernization project aims to extend their service life by another 25 years.
According to Greek authorities, the refurbishment of the rolling stock will help increase transport capacity and reduce train intervals to as little as five minutes during peak hours.
Massive Investments in Public Transportation
The modernization of Athens’ metro trains is just one component of the city’s public transportation transformation program. Authorities have announced that 19 new-generation trains will be introduced for metro lines 2 and 3 in the coming years, alongside infrastructure upgrades and the implementation of digital solutions for network management.
In addition, the capital’s bus fleet has been significantly renewed, with over 1,076 new vehicles already put into service, and the goal is to reach a total of 1,700 new buses over the next two years.
The operator STASY estimates that the number of trains available on the metro network will increase from 40 in 2019 to 60 by 2027. This development will allow for more frequent service, with intervals of up to 3.5 minutes on Line 3 and five minutes on Line 1.
Greek authorities believe that investments in rolling stock, infrastructure, and digitalization will support passenger growth and make public transportation a more attractive alternative for Athens residents.
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