Egnatia Railway
Overview
StatusPlanned
OwnerOSE
LocaleGreece
Termini
Service
TypeHigher-speed rail
Operator(s)TrainOSE
Technical
Line length565 km (351 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track throughout
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Egnatia Railway is a planned railway line between Alexandroupolis and Igoumenitsa in northern Greece. The project is planned to include existing track upgrades as well as new track. The projected cost of this project is €10 billion.[1][2]

Background

The Egnatia Railway consists of multiple smaller scale projects:

  • the line from Alexandroupolis to Thessaloniki: electrification and installation of advanced signaling and telecommunication systems, wherever necessary, and new routing in selected subsections. This includes a section of new track from Xanthi to Thessaloniki via Kavala (projected to cost €1.25 billion),[3] which will shorten the journey between the two by three hours.[4]
  • Thessaloniki-Kozani: electrification and signaling,
  • Kozani-Krystallopigi: electrification and signaling, construction of new line for the subsection Florina–Krystallopigi,
  • Kozani-Igoumenitsa: new line construction via Ioannina to connect with Igoumenitsa Port.

Planning

Between 2017 and 2020 was completed the project design of the Thessaloniki-Amfipoli-Kavala section. A new rail line was planned as a single line with potential for being doubled in future. The new line has design speed of 200 km/h and total length of 174 km, including 9 km bridges and 22 km tunnels.[5] The environmental assessment of the Thessaloniki - Nea Karvali section was announced ready and approved on 14 March 2022.[6]

As of 2022, the feasibility studies of the Kalambaka-Ioannina-Igoumenitsa section were still on-going. A new line of approximately 154 km was planned, having a design speed of 160 km/h, electrification, ETCS signaling and remote control.[7]

Construction

In 2019, Hellenic Railways Organisation awarded the contract to build the initial 31.8 km (19.8 mi) section between Xanthi and Kavala at a cost of €250 million.[8]

In december 2021, ERGOSE SA published a tender note for the construction of the line between Thessaloniki and Toxotes railway station. Deadline for submission of expressions of interest is set at 14/01/2022. Three companies enlisted to participate.[9]

Costs

The cost is estimated at EUR 10bn but the final cost will be determined when studies completed. The project cost break down:

  • Thessaloniki-Alexandroupolis: €1,8bn (Section Alexandroupolis – Xanthi, €300m, Section Xanthi – Kavala – Thessaloniki, €1,5bn)[10]
  • Thessaloniki-Kozani: €800m
  • Kozani-Igoumenitsa (incl. c) Kozani - Krystallopigi - Florina): €7,4bn

The proposed business model is that of a PPP. The construction and operation of the project will be undertaken by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). Sources of revenues include rail exploitation and logistics services revenues. The funding will be from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), and probably from EIB and EU programmes.

In 2023 the cost of the new 206 km railway line to Toxotes was estimated to 1,68 billion euros.[11]

Other projects

A link from Krystallopigi into Albania is also proposed.[12]

The planned overhaul of the Alexandroupoli–Svilengrad railway aims to ensure link of the Egnatia Railway with the Sea2Sea railway corridor.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ ‘Egnatia Railway’ European Commission
  2. ↑ "Egnatia Railway: Europe's next mega rail project". Ypodomes. 2 June 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "New railway line Thessaloniki-Kavala-Xanthi in northern Greece to cost €1.25 billion". Tornos News. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Railway Egnatia: The anatomy of the emerging rail "backbone" of Greece". 18 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Alignment Design for the new railway line Thessaloniki – Amfipoli – Kavala (Greece)". ADTOmega.gr. ADT Omega. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Egnatia Railway: 'Green' light for the Thessaloniki-Kavala section". Europe-Cities. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "A new railway line connecting Central Greece with the Ionian port of Igoumenitsa to be completed within a decade". Ypodomes. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. ↑ "Design contract awarded for new line in Greece". International Railway Journal. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  9. ↑ "Three candidates for the new railway line Thessaloniki – Kavala". Europe-Cities. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  10. ↑ "Cost for Thessaloniki - Kavala - Xanthi railway axis at €1.25 billion". Tornos News. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  11. ↑ "The plan to change the railway map in Northern Greece is "on track"". OT.gr. OT. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Albania southern rail link proposed". Railway Gazette. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Sea2Sea mega project that makes Greece a key hub and bypasses the Bosphorus: Creating a major new freight corridor in Europe". OT.gr. OT. 27 December 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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