The Actions, through which a total of 18 projects, included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0” are implemented, were presented by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Staikouras, at the event entitled “Co-financed Recovery and Resilience Fund Projects and Social Reciprocity”, the which was held at the stand of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport at the 88th Thessaloniki International Exhibition.

The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Transport, Vassilis Oikonomou, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, responsible for Infrastructure, Nikos Tachiaos and the General Secretary of Transport, Despina Paliarouta.

According to an announcement by the Ministry, these projects, with a total budget of 5.2 billion euros, of which 2 billion euros are financed by the Recovery and Resilience Fund (TAA), concern, as Mr. Staikouras emphasized, interventions:

· Strengthening transport security,

· Implementation of sustainable infrastructures,

· Promoting electrification and the green transition and

· Stimulation of digital transformation.

In detail, the actions and individual projects presented by the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport are as follows:

1. The construction of the Northern Road Axis of Crete (BOAK), which includes three subsections:

i. Chania – Heraklion with a budget of 2.057 billion euros (Concession with expropriations).

ii. Hersonissos – Neapoli with a budget of 349 million euros (PPP).

iii. Neapoli – Agios Nikolaos with a budget of 200 million euros (Public Project).

2. Construction of the Northern section “Trikala – Egnatia” of the Central Greece Motorway (E65), budget 480 million euros.

3. Upgrade interventions at 13 regional airports in order to comply with the regulation of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), budget 134 million euros.

4. Restoration of accessibility after the devastating consequences of the storm “DANIEL”:

i. 1,009 intervention points in the Road Network: With the financing of the Recovery and Resilience Fund, rehabilitation works worth 410 million euros will be completed. The total budget of the project amounts to 900 million euros.

ii. Rail Network: With funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, €188m of rehabilitation work will be completed. The total budget of the project amounts to 452 million euros

5. Smart Bridges: Evaluation of the structural response of selected railway and road bridges throughout the country. Real-time monitoring through modern systems. The selection of the bridges is done in collaboration with the OSE and the 13 Regions. The budget of the project reaches 222.4 million euros.

6. Integrated Geographical Information System of a Unified Digital Map of Expropriations and Claims of the country (e-apallotriosis): The project, with a budget of 25 million euros, is part of the wider digitization action of the State archives.

7. Integrated Information System for the Management of Technical Projects and Resources of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport: The application will allow through digital tools the management of documents and information, as well as the optimization of service collaboration. The budget of the project is 12.4 million euros.

8. Road Safety Improvement Projects in the national and provincial road network: The 45.2 million euro budget action concerns the study – construction for the implementation of short-term interventions in 630 dangerous points of the national and provincial road network of the Peloponnese Region.

9. Organizational reform of the railway sector: The 6.2 million euro budget action concerns the creation of a new, modern, public body, manager of the Railway Infrastructure.

10. Digital transformation of the OSE: The EUR 46.6 million budget action includes:

· The installation and operation of telematics and toll collection systems.

· Infrastructure for smart stations.

· Digital service, management of passenger requests and complaints.

11. Upgrading the Western Attica Suburban Railway line. The project, with a budget of 135 million euros, concerns the construction of a single line 36 km long from ‘Ano Liosia to the old Megara Railway Station.

12. Electrification: The action includes the following projects:

i. Green Public Transport (budget 137.4 million euros): Replacement of older buses with 250 new modern electric ones in Athens and Thessaloniki, which have joined the urban transport fleet of the two cities from May 2024.

ii. Charge Everywhere (budget 173.8 million euros).

iii. Green Taxis (budget 82.8 million euros).

In addition, it includes the Design and development of an online platform for the Register of Infrastructures and E-Mobility Buyers (M.Y.F.A.H.) of passenger car charging stations.