photo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAINOSE_class_120#/media/File:20080513-335-Thessaloniki-120016.jpg/Railway in Greece
Concept development The high-speed rail network in Greece is based on the connection of the two largest cities - Athens and Thessaloniki with extensions to the ports of Piraeus and Patra. In the North, there will be a connection through conventional and high-speed lines to the rail networks of Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Works on the construction of a new line within the Thessaloniki corridor - Athens have been ongoing since the 1990s. It included the partial modernisation of existing sections (double tracking and electrification), with the construction of new line sections, often in difficult terrain. The line is adapted to speeds in the range of 130 - 200 km/h, but built in the standard of high-speed lines - with full separation from road traffic, fences, long tunnel and viaducts sections.
The status of preparatory work
Most of the work on the Thessaloniki - Athens corridor has already been completed with the central section still outstanding due to electrification works. Works are also continuing on the Athens - Patra line.
Further stages of the high-speed rail network development will include the construction of two additional sections - from Thessaloniki towards the border with Turkey (partly a conventional line) and a new section on the Thessaloniki - Athens corridor from Aliartos to Elevsina, west of Athens. This will allow for further shortening the travel time between the two largest cities of the country, but also will improve the capacity of the node.
Parameters and lines’ location
The main characteristics of planned high-speed lines in Greece are presented in Table and are shown in Figure see below.
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