The metro in Thessaloniki will be shut down for 30 to 40 days to allow for its extension to Kalamaria, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Nikos Tachiaos said on Monday.
“Our only concern is the need to suspend the service for up to 40 days,” Tachiaos told public broadcaster ERT. “Whether it will be all at once or in phases depends on the final plan.”
The goal is to integrate Kalamaria into the metro by the end of 2025, despite challenges such as multiple contracts and train procurement. “It’s a complex undertaking, but we’re optimistic that we’ll complete it by the end of the year,” he said.
Tachiaos called November 30 a “realistic deadline” and said any delays would be minimal.
He added that the expropriations for the extension have been completed, with the legal process starting in early April.
Thessaloniki’s metro, which opened in November after nearly 20 years of delays due in part to Greece’s debt crisis, is the country’s first such system outside of Athens.
