“We are completely consistent in our commitments for its operation Metro of Thessaloniki. The city can see that the subway is being completed, the restorations that have been done at all the construction sites and how they are progressing” said the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport George Karagiannis, supporting the relevant provisions of the amendment tabled for voting in the Ministry of Interior bill on the Innovation System in the public sector and other provisions

Mr. Karagiannis emphasized that “a few days ago the people of Thessaloniki had the opportunity, through an innovative architectural process, the OPEN HOUSE, to see the Papafi Station and the operational center of the Thessaloniki Metro and realize that there are no models, there are no tarpaulins. There are stations, there is a test operation and in the next period, at the beginning of April, we will have the possibility to carry out a test operation on the entire main line”.

Therefore, added the deputy minister “we are entering the final stretch and we will also have the possibility to have a metro, which will be the most modern in Europe, a driveless metro, without a driver, fully automated, with state-of-the-art trains, sophisticated, innovative, “green” with an innovative safety and operation system”.

He pointed out that “the government made sure to announce the international open tender for the conclusion of a public-private partnership agreement for the operation and maintenance of the Thessaloniki Metro network and will be the first private operator of the Thessaloniki Metro, which will serve dailyas 310,000 of our fellow citizens. The total revenue will be around 50 million euros. The contest continues and two bids have been submitted by two large international companies abroad.

In the next few months we will have the commercial operation of the metro and because we have to look ahead and we know that many projects are stuck due to appeals and obstacles that are created, we, with full respect for the provisions of the Union Law, enable the Attiko Metro to be able to proceed with a assigning essentially the operation and maintenance services of the Thessaloniki Metro network, the main project and the extension to Kalamaria, to the contractor of the main project for 2+1 years from its completion. The cost of the project will be covered by the operating income and now the contractor, who has a lot of experience, will be able to start the commercial operation of the Thessaloniki Metro” concluded.