Αs it turns 25, Athens metro needs ‘bold upgrade’

Twenty-five years after it was hailed as a marvel of modern engineering, the Athens metro is showing distinct signs of wear and neglect, mainly stemming from insufficient maintenance and investments.

"The metro was definitely a jewel. But it's tired - after all, it is used by a lot of people," transport expert and former CEO of the Athens transit organization, Stratos Papadimitriou, tells Kathimerini, adding that while the standards of construction were very high, "due attention has not been paid to maintenance." 

Athanasios Kottaras, CEO of metro operator STASY, concedes that "the economic crisis and the pandemic led to significant disinvestment in public transportation."

Nevertheless, he says, "the metro provides very important quality and safety," but it "needs a bold upgrade investment so it can maintain the high standards it had 25 years ago."