European Commission grants tram extension 34 mln euros

The European Commission on Tuesday approved a subsidy of 34 million euros for an ongoing project to extend the Athens tram from central Syntagma Square to the port city of Piraeus.

The money, which will come from the European Regional Development Fund, will go towards the 5.3 kilometer extension of the tram network from its current terminus at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF) in the southern coastal suburb of Neo Faliro to the port.

The extension will include 13 new stops and is expected to generate 169 jobs.

Construction for the project began in January 2013 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.