Thessaloniki Metro: The Kalamaria extension officially opens today

Everything is ready for the Thessaloniki Metro extension to Kalamaria to be officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday morning (August 27), before being opened to the public.

On Wednesday afternoon, Infrastructure Minister Christos Dimas, accompanied by Deputy Minister Nikos Tachiaos and Kalamaria Mayor Chrysa Arapoglou, made a final tour of the stations along the Metro extension, showing journalists and media representatives around the new facilities.

According to Minister Dimas, citing data from the National Centre for Research and Technology Development (CERTH), the operation of Thessaloniki’s main Metro line has already reduced the number of vehicles in the city center by 15%.

“With the extension to Kalamaria and the creation of five new stations, we estimate that we will increase the number of daily passengers by around 60,000 and reduce the number of vehicles by an additional 13,000 to 15,000 each day. Those vehicles should no longer have to travel into the city center.

“You all understand how important this is for the everyday lives of residents and visitors to Thessaloniki and Kalamaria. We are also extremely happy because the Thessaloniki Metro is the most modern Metro in Greece, one of the most modern Metro systems in Europe, and, I would dare say, the most beautiful Metro I have personally visited,” Dimas said.

The minister also referred to his cooperation with Deputy Minister Nikos Tachiaos, whom he publicly thanked and congratulated, noting that he “was here every day, every night” and that ensuring everything worked perfectly had been his “great concern.”

Dimas also thanked Kalamaria Mayor Chrysa Arapoglou, describing their cooperation as “excellent,” particularly regarding the opening of Pontou Street. He noted that the relevant tender is currently before the Court of Audit for pre-contractual review.

According to the minister, the project is particularly important as it will transform the Municipality of Kalamaria and address a decades-old outstanding issue.

For his part, Deputy Minister Nikos Tachiaos spoke at length about what he described as the “adventure” of completing both the Thessaloniki Metro project and its Kalamaria extension. He noted that seven years have now passed since 2019, when he first became involved with the project.

“This is not the Kalamaria Metro; it is now the Thessaloniki Metro as a whole—it is one unified network,” Tachiaos said, adding that extending the Metro toward northwestern Thessaloniki is the government’s top priority.

The Kalamaria extension is 4.78 kilometers long and is expected to make travel significantly easier for residents and visitors to the area.

The extension will improve connections between the city center and Kalamaria, Aretsou, Nea Krini and Mikra, while helping to ease traffic congestion and significantly improve air quality in the area.

The Kalamaria extension features an automated GoA4 system, meeting the highest standards of safety and reliability, and complements Line 1 of the Thessaloniki Metro, which is described as Greece’s most modern, safe and reliable Metro network.