Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Taxiaos has placed the completion of the handover process for the Thessaloniki Metro Kalamaria extension in August, noting that the operation of the new section will signal the beginning of the network’s next development phase. Speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), Mr. Taxiaos explained that the project’s completion depends on complex technical certification processes, as the Thessaloniki Metro is built on fundamentally different technology from that of the Athens Metro. As he noted, the Kalamaria extension, like the main line, operates as a fully automated system in which the integration of trains with all other subsystems is of critical importance. For this reason, before commercial operations can begin, it must be demonstrated that all individual systems work seamlessly together as a unified network, and the required overall operational certification must be issued.
As he explained, “it must be understood that the Thessaloniki Metro differs fundamentally from the Athens Metro, which we all know how it was developed. It is governed by an entirely different technology. The Kalamaria extension, like the main line, is a fully automated metro where the interface between the trains and all other systems is critically important. Each train is not an autonomous unit operated by a driver, but part of a whole that is controlled and guided within the framework of CBTC technology. For the extension to be put into operation, it must be proven that all the individual systems work flawlessly together as a unified whole, and the necessary certificate for the ‘entirety’ must be issued.”
Mr. Taxiaos also stressed that “the Thessaloniki Metro will not stop at Kalamaria. The completion of the extension to Kalamaria is the beginning of the next phase of its development. Our priority is to achieve the launch of the next extensions, with Northwest Thessaloniki being the first, where there is a dynamic and growing population.
We are already at a critical stage of maturity for the project. The cost-benefit study is moving forward, which is a prerequisite for submitting a funding request to the European Union. Our goal is not to miss a single funding opportunity.”
The full interview with Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Nikos Taxiaos, conducted by ANA-MPA journalist Giorgos Psyllias, is as follows:
What is the final delivery date for the Kalamaria Metro?
The million-dollar question, as they say in Thessaloniki — perhaps with a touch of exaggeration. For a few more days, it will remain up in the air. A little patience, please. I’m not going to give a specific date — not because I don’t have a clear picture of the project’s progress, but because the task of integrating the extension into the existing metro network has proven exceptionally complex and has genuinely surprised even us with its degree of difficulty. I therefore prefer not to commit to a specific date and then be proven wrong, even though I do have a clear picture. That said, all indications point to the month that has just begun.
Yet in the past, you did give specific dates.
Yes, that’s true. But reality proved me wrong, and I have no reason — nor any desire — to expose myself to the same risk, however small it may be. You know that I am always completely honest with the public. What I can say with confidence is that August is the month in which the matter of delivering the Kalamaria extension appears to be definitively closing. All the individual parameters of the undertaking point in that direction.
Does the fact that you’re now talking about a delivery month have anything to do with the Prime Minister’s presence in Thessaloniki?
Absolutely not. Of course, it is the Prime Minister who will inaugurate the new line, but the reasons behind this particular delay are exclusively technical in nature and relate to the project’s certifications — they have no political or communications dimensions. He himself is very well aware of both the importance of completing the project properly and its complexity.
Why are there so many difficulties? This is an extension of an existing line — it’s not the first time something like this has been done in Greece.
It must be understood that the Thessaloniki Metro differs fundamentally from the Athens Metro, which we all know how it was developed. It is governed by an entirely different technology. As far as the Kalamaria extension is concerned, like the main line, it is a fully automated metro where the interface between the trains and all other systems is critically important. Each train is not an autonomous unit operated by a driver, but part of a whole that is controlled and guided within the framework of CBTC technology, which manages the movement of rolling stock with absolute safety. The signalling systems — a term now very well known in Greece — have already been certified and are safe. However, that certification alone is not enough; it is just one parameter. For the extension to be put into operation, it must be proven that all the individual systems work flawlessly as a unified whole, and the necessary certificate for the “entirety” must be issued. And of course, certification of the operations provider — the well-known THEMA — is also required.
What are the key technical prerequisites that must be met before the line can be put into service?
Let me explain the parameters of the equation: today, we have a flawlessly functioning network with 18 trains and a 9.6-kilometre line. To this, a new branch of approximately 4.5 kilometres is being added — not a linear extension. After Martyrion Station, trains will head either towards Mikra (Kalamaria) or Nea Elvetia (Thessaloniki) in a 2:1 ratio, and in the opposite direction they will return towards the New Railway Station. The trains that will be able to operate on both lines will number 33 in total — both older and newer — and they must all meet safety and operational requirements as a whole, while being monitored and managed by the same already-operational Control Centre. At the same time, the compatibility of systems installed under six different contracts with different contractors and subcontractors must be verified.
Does that sound simple? It isn’t.
What stage are the tests currently at, and what scenarios are being checked on a daily basis?
We are just a short time away from the start of what is known as the trial run, which we have already announced — at which point trains will run back and forth as if the extension were open, but with no passengers in that section, while the main line continues to operate normally as it does today.
Why are such extensive tests needed? What does this testing period mean in practical terms?
Because safety and functionality come first. At this point, we have resolved all safety-related matters. What remains is the issuance of the facility operating certificate, which is expected within the week. What is currently ongoing is ensuring operational functionality.
Who certifies that everything is ready for the extension to operate?
System certifications and operational certification are carried out by independent bodies — in this case, by one of the most trusted organisations in the world: TÜV Rheinland. Once that arrives, and only then, will Hellenic Metro be able to issue a completion certificate and our Ministry be able to issue the relevant licences. So for the inauguration to take place, we must be in a position to issue both the facility operating licence and the public transport provider operating licence, as required under the relevant legislation and as we did with the main line.
Citizens have been hearing about tests and certifications for months. Is this ultimately the price of absolute safety? Does absolute safety justify the delays?
Yes. There is absolutely no room for compromise when we are talking about the safe daily transportation of hundreds of thousands of people.
There are many who argue that the extension could have been delivered earlier and that the ongoing delays are unjustified. What is your response?
I fully understand the impatience of the public. I too would have liked it to have been delivered sooner. However, our responsibility is not to deliver the project as quickly as possible. It is to deliver it when we are certain that it fully complies with all safety and reliability specifications. I would rather face criticism for a delay than make any concession on matters relating to the safe operation of the system. And as you know — also due to the combination of my ministerial responsibility and my local roots — as a Thessalonian, I take a beating every day, whether out of ignorance or bad faith.
What changes for Kalamaria once the extension is operational?
The way thousands of citizens move around every day changes fundamentally. Kalamaria is now fully integrated into the Thessaloniki Metro’s transport map, gaining a direct, fast and reliable connection to the city centre and the entire network.
The five new stations — Nomarchía, Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and Mikra — serve a densely populated area of Thessaloniki and create a new reality in urban mobility, with significant time savings and greater predictability in people’s daily lives. But what we are delivering is not simply five new stations. It is one more major step in the upgrading of Thessaloniki.
The completion of the extension is also accompanied by the opening and construction of Pontou Street. What stage is that project at?
For us at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the metro extension would not be considered complete without Pontou Street. That is precisely why, following a formal request from the municipality, we classified the project as one of national importance and secured its funding. Not only because certain technical parameters of the metro’s safe and proper operation depend on Pontou Street, but also because it was not acceptable for Kalamaria to continue to have such a critical arterial road as a permanent unresolved issue. In total, under the governance of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, credits amounting to €64 million have been allocated for the opening and construction of Pontou Street.
Pontou Street is an integral part of the overall intervention in Kalamaria. It is not enough to deliver five new stations. We are obliged to give Kalamaria not only a modern fixed-rail transit system, but also an upgraded urban environment.
After Kalamaria, what is the next major step for the Thessaloniki Metro?
The completion of the extension to Kalamaria is the beginning of the next development phase of the Thessaloniki Metro. Our priority is to achieve the launch of the next extensions, with Northwest Thessaloniki being the first priority — an area with a dynamic and growing population.
We are already at a critical stage of maturity for the project. The cost-benefit study is moving forward, which is a necessary prerequisite for submitting a funding request to the European Union.
Our goal is not to miss a single funding opportunity. The Thessaloniki Metro will not stop at Kalamaria. We are preparing the next leap forward. This time, more ready and more mature than ever — because I am confident that after the city has grown accustomed to the metro, Thessaloniki is moving along a trajectory of broad consensus.
Kalamaria residents have been waiting for this moment for many years. What is your message to them?
I want first and foremost to thank them for their patience. I know that the construction sites caused difficulties and that the waiting and anticipation have been immense. I want to assure the people of Thessaloniki that I am on the same side as they are. As a Thessalonian myself, I want to see this project up and running just as much as any resident of this city. And as a member of the Government, I feel an even greater responsibility to deliver it in the way it deserves: fully completed, safe and reliable.
I am confident, however, that the result will justify this patience. In a very short time, Kalamaria will gain a modern, safe and reliable connection to the centre of Thessaloniki — one that will fundamentally change the daily lives of its residents and will stand as a significant legacy for the decades to come.
