Tomorrow Tuesday, April 29th, contracts for road projects will be signed
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport contracts for rehabilitation projects on the rail network of the Regions of Thessaly and Central Greece were signed today by the extensive damage caused by the natural disasters “Daniel” and “Elias” in September 2023.
As the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, known, the project budget amounts to € 450.12 million, and the duration of contracts is set to 15 months from today. As he still said, “Tomorrow, in Larissa, we will sign the contracts related to road restoration projects.” The total interventions, both on the rail and on the road network, amounts to € 1.35 billion. The contracts were signed in the presence of the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas and the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Nikos Papathanassis, by Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis and the contractors.
In particular, this bundle includes four contractors:
1. The restoration of the Athens -Thessaloniki double railway line, from the exit of the SS. Domokou until the entrance of the SS Krannon. Work includes the restoration of the infrastructure and the line of the line, the stabilization of slopes, minerals and houses, as well as the strengthening of the network’s strength against future extreme weather.
2. The restoration of the Paleofarsalos – Kalambakas Railway. Work includes the construction of the necessary projects to restore and improve the hydraulic side of the line, so that the line can be securely and uninterrupted and obtain in these sections, resilience to the weather that regularly affects the area.
3. The restoration of the Larissa – Volos Railway Line, in the sections: i) Exit SS Larissa – SS Quarry ii) SS Quarry – SS entrance Volos iii) Two positions in the SS Volos. Work in these sections include, rail and metal bridges, shielding of the rail infrastructure and allowance in sections of the line that exhibit increased vulnerability against flood phenomena, as well as concomitant hydraulic work.
4. The restoration of signaling systems, ETCS L1, telephony and electricity in the part of the double rail line from the SS. Palaiofarsalos to SS Krannon. The restoration of the systems in the destroyed section will allow the signaling, telecommunications and ETCS to be reopened. This will increase traffic safety and allow double -line traffic. The capacity of the Athens – Thessaloniki line will also increase.
The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Christos Dimas, said: “Today we sign the contracts relating to the rehabilitation projects on the rail network of the Regions of Thessaly and Central Greece, from the extensive damage caused by the” Daniel “and” Elias “natural disasters. Railway traffic in all sections of the rail network that are now damaged today, taking a significant step in moving citizens in terms of increased safety and the smooth transport of goods.
Tomorrow, in Larissa, we will sign the contracts relating to road restoration projects. The total interventions, both on the rail and on the road network, amounts to € 1.35 billion. This is an extremely high amount, which proves the magnitude of the disasters caused by the natural disaster and the urgent need created in the national economy in order to secure resources to repair the damage to public infrastructure. To make it possible to implement these projects, it was secured by € 600 million and € 600 million. Euro will be derived from national resources. “
The Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Nikos Papathanassis, said: “For the first time this government has increased the annual available for natural disasters from 300 to 600m euros. In 2024 we exhausted this amount and even overwhelmed it by € 90 million. Of course, the state’s fiscal course is of great value, so that it is ready to cover such natural disasters. I say this, because while the coverage from Europe may be small, but it gave us the right – with the prime minister’s negotiation – to redirect resources from the € 600m recovery fund. The amount you see now participating in the € 1.3 billion of contracts signed today and tomorrow, but at the same time we have a € 700m supplement from the national side.
We have just recently had an increase in the Public Investment Program. In 2025 it will reach the record of 14.6 billion euros to reach 2026 to € 16.9 billion. I would like to say that even today, but also tomorrow, we show that the state ensures that natural disasters are covered and, above all, we can have the potential in the future whatever happens, to be prepared to cover such phenomena, which come from a climate crisis that has asymmetric results, without asymmetric results.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, stressed: “As we were committed, contracts for the restoration of the railway line in Thessaly are signed in April. In September 2023, the contracts for telecommunications and ETCS were handed over, which, after the unprecedented severity of the bad weather, were destroyed along with the entire line. It was followed by a temporary rehabilitation of the line, which operates to this day, so that the itineraries were not stopped on the main axis. Temporary rehabilitation projects were completed by the end of 2023.
So today, the companies we sign in, immediately begin infrastructure and benefit rehabilitation projects in the Domokos – Krannon Department, the installation of new signaling, telecommunications, ETCs and electricity systems in the line from Palaiophasalos to Kranos and Kranos Paleophasalos – Kalambaka. Their implementation begins without any delay, with a tight timetable, for public data, with a 15 -month implementation horizon. With the completion of these contracts and the rest of the projects we are launching, the network will be ready to welcome new modern trains that will move to a fully telephone central axis, Athens – Thessaloniki. “
METKA Vice -President & CEO Dinos Benroubis said: “The assignment to METKA of the Athens -Thessaloniki double railway rehabilitation project, in a crucial part of the” Daniel “and” Elias “natural disasters. I would like to thank the political leadership of the Ministry of Infrastructure for the confidence they show in our technical competence and consistency. Railway safety is a matter of national importance, and METKA is committed to responding – as always – with dedication, and high -level know -how.
We will work for complete rehabilitation, as well as to shield rail infrastructure and benefit based on the rules of art and science, with a commitment to quality and conventional terms. And of course, in constant and close cooperation with the Contracting Authority-key element for the success of any important infrastructure project. On the part of all of us in METKA, we assure you that we will do – as timelessly – everything that goes through our power to deliver a work of excellent, durable and functional, a work worthy of its high importance. “
ABAX Group Managing Director Konstantinos Mitzalis said: “By emphasizing the quality and time of execution of high rail projects in the country, our group with his experience and know -how, is proud of a new effort. Both with the upgrades of the Paleofarsalos – Kalambaka line we are already implementing, and with the rehabilitation projects we are now undertaking, we aim to create modern infrastructure that will meet the needs of society. “
The President & CEO of the Aktor Group, Alexandros Exarchou, said: “The Thessalian communities have suffered a huge hassle from the extreme weather events, which tried the strengths of the wider region, but not only by the wider region, most important wealthy areas of the country. The restoration of Thessaly’s infrastructure will contribute not only to the rebuilding of local communities, but will also work beneficial to the whole of the Greek economy, supporting growth and social cohesion. “
The director of the Alstom branch in Greece, Panayiotas Katis, said: “Alstom, with its specialized staff and technical staff in Greece, undertakes the restoration project of signaling, telecommunication and electricity systems as well as the European Training System (ETC). SS Paleofarsalou to SS Crannas, destroyed by the bad weather “Daniel”. The project is part of the overall planning of the rehabilitation of extensive damage caused to Thessaly by this bad weather. The work includes the dismantling of the previous affected equipment of the above systems and the installation and maintenance of modern technical and technological equipment to restore their operation, by integrating them into the existing and operating equipment of the rest of the Athens – Athens railway.
Present at the signature ceremony were also the Minister of Rural Development and Food and Karditsa MP Costas Tsiaras, the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and MP of Larissa Christos Kellas, the Deputy Minister of Digital Governance and MP Magnesia Magnesia MPs Christos Triantopoulos and Zeta Makri, Karditsa MP Asimina Skondra, the Secretary General of Public Investment Program and National Development Program (PDP & EPA) Catherine Economou, the Secretary General of Transport and the Secretary General of Transport.