Phase one of Greece’s first driverless metro, supported by Hitachi Rail’s digital signalling technology and advanced metro trains, was inaugurated in Thessaloniki today [30 November].
Phase one of the new metro line covers approximately 9.6 km and includes 13 new stations.
An initial extension of the line is already planned and will lead to the construction of a further five stations covering an additional distance of 4.8 km.
The metro entered service is expected to cut 56,000 cars from roads daily, and 77,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Hitachi Rail’s involvement in the project has seen it deliver its Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling solution the supply of rolling stock.
The first section of the metro will be served by 18 new trains, with a further 15 trains set to be added under a subsequent application contract.
Hitachi Rail’s implementation of the line’s CBTC based signalling systems seeks to support enhanced service capacity, enabling trains to run safely at shorter intervals.
CBTC is a modern urban signalling system that uses wireless communication between trains and infrastructure to operate metro systems more efficiently than conventional signalling.
