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The Suburban infrastructure within the Attica can be converted into a new Metro line

In the context of the Improvement of the Means of Transport Services, the access of more residents of the Attica Cirque to Metros and Means of Fixed Track and the Densification of Urban Routes to deal with the pandemic but also the modern trend of sustainable mobility, we propose a solution with a particularly low cost the which can be implemented in a short period of time:
The suburban lines located within the Cirque, can accommodate an above-ground new Metro line.
This can be done in four steps:

1   Creating a Map

of the entire Unified Network of all Fixed Orbit Media of the Basin.

The current situation in the communication between the Metro and the Suburban is almost non-existent:
1. Although there is a single 90′ ​​ticket for the metro and commuter lines, there is no map showing them together
2. The Suburban Train does not have any Maps for its passengers, neither on the trains nor at its stops

By using a common Map throughout the Metro and Suburban Network, the existing Suburban stops will become known to the public, which until now are not mentioned on the Metro maps.

2   Creating New Attitudes in the Modern Suburban Infrastructure

• Suburban train stops are approximately 2km apart, while Metro stations are 500 to 1000m apart
• New stops can be made on the Piraeus – SKA suburban line (17.4 Km)
• New stops can be made on the Ano Liosia – Airport suburban line (34.6 Km)
• In addition, extensions can be made to available abandoned sections of railway lines such as the section Maniatika – Port of Piraeus E3 (2.4 Km) and the section Agioi Anargyri – Kamatero – Zofria (5.2 Km)
• On the existing line on which the Suburban runs within the basin, very few trains pass at very infrequent intervals. The Suburban trains, especially in the Larissa – Piraeus Station section, are almost empty

More than 25 new stops could be created in the modern infrastructure on which the 52 Km Suburban runs and in the old infrastructure that can be modernized 7.6 Km long:

The cost of building the stands can be particularly low. The simple metal structures that make up these above-ground stops can have a cost that will not exceed 1 million Euros/stop.

(In comparison, it should be mentioned that on the new line 4 of the Metro, Section A “Alsos Veikou – Goudi” will be 12.8 km long, and will include 15 stations, construction duration 8 years at a cost of 1.5 billion Euros.)

3   Connecting the Suburban with the Metro

• At the moment, the commuter train does not stop at the Keramikos Metro stop of line 3 (Blue Line) even though it passes right over this very large Metro stop. The other point of contact of the Suburban line with the Blue line is in Doukisis Plakentias, i.e. at the terminal station which is 20 km away.
• The commuter train does not stop at the Attiki Metro stop Lines 1&2 (Green Line and Red Line). This stop could become a three-line hub in the network.
• Even in the planning of the new future metro line 4 or “U” again the Metro will not stop on the Suburban line (Pyrgos Vasilissis, Paradisos).
• At the new end of the metro line in Piraeus (blue line) there will be an underground connection for passengers with the green metro line, but there will not be a corresponding underground connection with the suburban train. In other words, the Piraeus station was planned and it will be connected by trains to the well-known “Elektriko” station, but not to that of Proastiakou, which is also located a very short distance away.

4   Condensation of routes

• The commuter rail infrastructure can accommodate more frequent train crossings. Today’s frequency is a 30′ time interval which can become 15′ or even 10′.
• The part of the suburb located within the basin also includes Acharnes (110 thousand inhabitants, 12th Municipality in Greece), Kryoneri al-la and Ag. Stefanos who could be in this dense new frequency of train crossings. This can significantly ease the heavy traffic on the National Road (Kifissou Street) which is very close and almost parallel to the suburban line

Through low-cost adjustments such as the creation of a map for the passenger public, the densification of stops, routes and the rationalization of connections on the Metro and Suburban lines, the Suburban can function as an additional Metro line in Attica.

Stefanos Katsolis
Researcher – Transportologist
Topographic Engineer NTUA

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