Having now left behind intra-party and parliamentary procedures, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is attempting to refocus attention on daily life issues, which citizens rate highly.
Mitsotakis: Focus shift to daily life with public transport at the forefront
At 7:00 PM today, the Prime Minister will speak at an Infrastructure and Transport Ministry event titled “Public Transport is changing Athens” at the Sepolia Depot. This is an issue that directly concerns Attica residents, where nearly 4,000,000 citizens now live, while 10,000 tourists circulate daily. The total number of overnight stays between 2019 and 2024 increased annually by 13.8 million! Vehicles circulating daily in the Athens basin are estimated to exceed 3,000,000, while during the debt crisis decade, public investments in new roads and public transport were severely limited.
Metro Line 4: 15 new stations and completion target by 2032
Regarding public transport, completing Metro Line 4 within the new timeline, by 2032, plays a pivotal role, featuring 15 new stations and 13 kilometers of underground tunnel, connecting with Lines 2 and 3 at “Academy” and “Evangelismos” stations respectively for better passenger service.
Line 2 extension towards Ilion and southern suburbs
The western extension of Metro Line 2 towards Ilion is at an advanced stage, featuring an approximately 4-kilometer line with three new stations (“Palatiani”, “Ilion”, “Agios Nikolaos”) and expected passenger traffic of 50,000 passengers/day.
The third priority project is the southern extension of Metro Line 2, creating a fork after “Elliniko” station, with one section towards Upper Glyfada and Vouliagmeni and another section, also with two stations, one within the major investment site at the former international airport and one in lower Glyfada.
Suburban railway: Extension providing relief to Western Attica
Simultaneously, Western Attica will receive relief from the completion of the Suburban Railway extension within the coming months, spanning 34.6 kilometers with seven new stops from Ano Liosia to Megara.
New buses and 24-hour transport services in Attica
The planned improvement in Attica’s public transport frequency will play a significant role, spearheaded by increasing the bus fleet. During 2024-2025, the urban and suburban bus fleet in Attica and Thessaloniki was significantly renewed, while the pilot 24-hour operation of Athens Metro Lines 2 and 3, the Tram, and selected bus routes every Saturday was implemented for the first time.
With the addition of 205 new buses, as recently announced by Deputy Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis, the number of new vehicles operating or immediately entering service reaches 1,076, while fleet renewal approaches 80%. These include 125 electric buses, 13 IVECO natural gas buses, and 67 new CNG Menarini vehicles serving passengers daily.
Fleet renewal combines with human resource strengthening. A new driver recruitment is already underway, with first-time participation opportunities for candidates without professional driving licenses. New drivers will receive free training at OSY’s driving school, aiming for faster system staffing and meeting increased needs. The ministry’s goal is for main network lines to improve frequency by up to 50% by the end of 2026.
The “last mile” plan and increased inspections
Additionally, the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry aims to connect the so-called “last mile” – ensuring workers using the metro find synchronized bus connections to their next destination upon arrival. Resource finding has been aided by an eight-fold increase in inspections, gradually closing a major wound in urban transport for many years: ticket validation evasion.
Mitsotakis’s message from Sepolia on citizens’ daily life
All these points will be presented at tonight’s Sepolia event, with Kyriakos Mitsotakis particularly emphasizing adherence to New Democracy’s pre-election promises and improving citizens’ daily lives.
