Only one out of three Tram lines, the along the Athens Riviera, will be in operation for eleven whole days, causing immense trouble to thousands of commuters and why not, tourists. Due to construction works, Tram lines 1 and 2, that is “Syntagma⇔Asklipieio Voula” and “Syntagma⇔SEF/Neo Faliro” will be halted February 24 – March 6 2018.
During this time, commuters can use special bus X6 that will operate between Tram stations <Mouson> in Palaio Faliro and <Neos Kosmos> near the Metro Line 1 station of the same name as well as up to Metro station <Syggrou-Fix>.
The original plan was that the X6 would operate only between Palaio Faliro and Metro station in Neos Kosmos. Then the Transport Ministry apparently discovered that this plan would exclude thousands of commuters from any access to the public transport means.
Bus X6 will operate from 5:20 a.m. until midnight 24:00.
Frequency:
- every 6-7 minutes on workdays and traffic peak times
- every 9 minutes on Saturdays
- every 10-15 minutes on Sundays.
Reason for all this trouble is reportedly construction works at the tramway between the two consecutive stations <Mouson> and <Panagitsa> in Palaio Faliro.
Why bring a whole public transport means system into halt? Possibly, because other tram stations cannot be used as end stations.
It should be noted that since 10. December 2017, the Tram stops at <Leoforos Vouliagmenis> and does not reach <Syntagma> also due to construction works. The Ministry hopes that the Syntagma construction works will be concluded at the beginning of March and the Tram will be able to reach downtown Athens on March 10th 2018.
Construction works at Syntagma aim to upgrade the end station of Tram due to its extension to Piraeus. End station <Syntagma> is getting a second platform to allow two tram trains there and not just one.
Of course, this should have been planned and materialized from the very beginning before 2004. But this is the country where technocrats normally think short-term and create troubles and on long-term.
No tram to Syntagma for 3 months? No Tram at all for thousands of commuters 10 days? Are you kidding me?
Can a Bus satisfactory replace the 4-5 wagons of a Tram? Hardly, especially during peak times.
What I know is that Athenians living 6 km from Syntagma who used to reach the city center with a bus in 20 minutes now they need 30-45 minutes if they are lucky.
During the last years, the majority of buses from the suburbs do not reach anymore the city center, not everyone has easy access to the Metro. Furthermore, the buses do not keep the schedule due to personnel shortages and broken down vehicles. Blame the economic crisis and the austerity measures? Possible. But also blame the decision makers who probably do not ever use public transport means.
