'Silver Arrow' high-speed train makes test run in Thessaloniki

The high-speed "Silver Arrow" train that will connect Thessaloniki to Athens in just 3.5 hours, made a test run on Saturday from the northern port city to the town of Katerini.

According to Transport Minister Nikos Mavraganis, the electrification of the final 52-kilometer stretch of the Athens-Thessaloniki rail corridor will take place by end of the year.

The Frecciargento ETR 485, which is expected to be fully operational in the summer of 2019, was brought to Greece by Ferrovie dello Stato (FS), the Italian company that operates Greek railway company TRAINOSE.

The train has nine carriages, with a capacity of 480 seats. Built by Alstom Ferroviaria, the train can reach a maximum speed of up to 250 kilometers per hour.

The current train journey from Thessaloniki to Athens takes more than 5 hours.