The first phase of Greece's first driverless metro covers approximately 9.6 km and includes 13 new stations. Further plans include a link between the city centre and the airport. An extension of the line is already planned, which will result in the construction of five additional stations over a distance of 4.8 km. The initial section of the metro will be served by 18 new trains, with another 15 trains scheduled to be added under a second contract.
The vehicles, manufactured in Hitachi Rail’s Reggio Calabria factory in Italy, consist of four carriages, with an overall length of approximately 51 metres and a transport capacity of 450 passengers per train. The system is equipped with a Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling.
The construction of the metro, designed to preserve the history and heritage of the area, included the construction of a 55.000 square metre depot in the Pylea area and the discovery of significant archaeological finds, including the "decumanus maximus". All of the discoveries will be on public exhibit within the metro stations.
