Athens Metro Project New Metro System, Greece

A new two-line system, Line 2 (Sepolia - Dafni) and Line 3 (Ethiniki Amyna - Syntagma) and 19 modern stations have come on line in late 2000, to provide Athens, Greece, with a metro service capable of easing surface congestion and speeding up rush hour travel.

ATHENS METRO PROJECT

The new underground Metro system consists of two lines radiating in four directions from Syntagma Square to Ethniki Amyna-Sepolia and serves approximately 300,000 passengers daily. From 15 November 2000 Line 2 (Sepolia-Syntagma) was extended to Dafni with an additional 5km of track and five stations. With this extension, 100,000 additional passengers are served daily. At a later stage with the addition of the line from Syntagma to Monastiraki and from Sepolia to Peristeri (Ag. Andonios), a further 150,000 passengers will be served.

The total carrying capacity of Attiko Metro is additional to the 350,000 passengers carried daily by the existing Athens-Pireas Electric Railway (ISAP) line, which connects Pireas with Omonia and Kifissia. Trains run every 4mins in rush hour,and every 6-10mins at off-peak times. The two new lines connect with the existing Metro line at Omonia, and Attiki Station, while they connect with each other at Syntagma Station. Plans to extend the system to serve the outer districts of Athens are underway.

TUNNEL BORING MACHINES

Two identical Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs), specifically designed for the Athenian sub-soil (schist and limestone), were used to bore the tunnels for the two underground lines. The TBMs excavate at a depth of 6 to 28m below the surface, well below the level of archaeological resources and public utilities, thus avoiding costly and time consuming disruptions.

The TBMs are computer operated, electrically powered and hydraulically driven. A full-face cutter head fitted with excavating bits and disc rollers breaks up rock and soil and removes muck with the use of conveyor belts. The excavation spoil is automatically loaded into trains to be transported through the tunnels to the points where the muck cars are raised to the surface and their content is unloaded, to be transported via trucks to the dumping locations. On average the TBMs work their way forward 10m/day, leaving behind a near-finished tunnel 8.48m internal diameter with a precast concrete lining. The machines were manufactured by NFM of France and designed by Mitsubishi of Japan. The cost for both machines came to €35.2 million ($32.3 million).

VENTILATION

80 large size fans of 2.5m diameter and 100m³/s capacity each, provide approximately 7.8 million cubic metres per hour of fresh air for the public areas of the stations and the tunnels, for ventilation, cooling and smoke control in the event of fire. An additional 157 fans in the stations, shafts and the depot, ensure the proper operation of equipment and technical areas.

ROLLING STOCK

A total of 28 trains were purchased for use on lines 2 and 3, which are made up of six cars (two 3-car units coupled together back-to-back). The train contains 224 seats and allows for approximately 806 standing passengers. The train is 106m long, 2,800mm wide and 3,600mm high. Its weight totals 178t when empty. Powered by four 153kw DC motors per motor car at an operating voltage of 750 VDC, the train can achieve an average acceleration of 1m/s² with a maximum speed of 80km/h. Siemens, ABB-Daimler-Benz, and ALSTOM were contracted to supply the trains.

FUNDING

The total cost is estimated to be €2.1 billion ($1.9 billion). The European Union (EU) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) are financing up to 90% of the project through loans and grants, while the remaining funds are being provided by the Greek government.

ATTIKO METRO

Attiko Metro A.E., a private company established by law in 1991, managed the project. The Contractor was Olympic Metro, a consortium of 22 Greek, German and French companies that are working together to construct the project under a fixed-price turnkey contract.

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