Press release
Athens, 18 June 2021
The progress of the €4 billion strategic railway projects at the center of the meeting of the Secretary General for Infrastructure with the President and CEO of ERGOSE
Athens, 18 June 2021 – The Secretary General of Infrastructure, Mr. George Karagiannis, visited today, 18 June 2021, the offices of ERGOSE, where he had a meeting with the President and CEO of the Organization, Mr. Christos Vinis, in the presence of executives of the company.
The main subject of the meeting was the progress of the implementation of the railway projects with a total budget of more than €4 billion that ERGOSE is planning and carrying out, with the ultimate goal of making our country a regional “hub” in the logistics sector in the wider Balkan region and Southeast Europe.
Achieving this goal is a strategic priority for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and ERGOSE.
Through a series of immediate actions and a complete restructuring of processes in full cooperation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, ERGOSE is currently accelerating the procedures and is at a mature stage for the tendering of six strategic projects, with a total budget of €3.3 billion, through the Competitive Dialogue.
These are cross-border and inter-regional projects, as well as upgrading projects such as the connection of the 6th pier of the Port of Thessaloniki with the main railway axis of Thessaloniki and the development of the suburban railway of Western Thessaloniki, the connection of Alexandroupolis with Ormenio, the connection of Kavala with Thessaloniki and Toxotes through a new southern alignment, and further south, the connection of the “El. Venizelos” airport with the ports of Lavrio and Rafina and, of course, the railway interconnection of the new port of Patras. All the projects in the Competitive Dialogue link the country’s major ports with the rail network. Given that these are large and complex projects, the Competitive Dialogue is the best tender procedure and the most appropriate tendering tool provided by public procurement legislation.
ERGOSE has completed the tender for the appointment of a Technical Consultant who will support it in all the necessary preparatory work so that within the third quarter of this year it can implement the first phase of the Competitive Dialogue, which provides for the pre-selection of the participating economic operators.
Mr. Karagiannis was also informed about the progress of the projects to be tendered through tendering procedures with a total budget of 690 million €.
ERGOSE is accelerating the procedures for the completion of the ongoing projects concerning the modernization of the main railway axis Patras – Athens – Thessaloniki – Idomeni / Promahonas, while the construction of the Neos Panteleimonas Railway Station in Pieria has been contracted. The installation of Electrification and Railway Systems on the “Larissa – Volos” Railway Line and the installation of Signalling on the “Thessaloniki – Idomeni” Railway Line have been put out to tender. Furthermore, the tender documents for the construction of the Kryoneri Railway Station have been completed.
Two major rail projects, worth a total of €175 million, are to be put out to tender in the third quarter of 2021, which will be funded by the Operational Programme: “Transport Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainable Development 2014-2020”.
These are:
– Phase 2 of the Athens Central Railway Station and connection to the metro, with a budget of EUR 35 million. The project concerns the completion of the construction of tracks, platforms and an underground passage for the communication of all the platforms of the railway station, as well as the connection with the “Larissa” station of Attiko Metro SA.
– New Aigio-Rio double line (superstructure, electrification, signalling, stations), with a budget of €140 million. The project includes the construction of the superstructure of the new double railway line, 32 km long, with signalling – remote control and electrification and the construction of railway stations.
Infrastructure Secretary General George Karagiannis said during the meeting, “I was at ERGOSE’s offices today to discuss the latest developments on the major rail project we are planning.
Our plan includes the tendering, in the coming months, of 6 new major projects through the Competitive Dialogue procedure and is the largest ever package of rail projects, worth €3.3 billion.
All the projects connect the ports of Patras, Lavrio, Rafina, Thessaloniki, Kavala and Alexandroupolis by train and strengthen the cross-border rail link with the rest of South-Eastern Europe, which is very important for the country and Europe.
Thus, the competitiveness of ports and the Greek economy as a whole is enhanced.
At the same time, the plan for the tendering process is progressing and in the second half of the year we will tender additional projects worth more than €350 million.
Our cooperation with the leadership and ERGOSE as a whole is excellent, and I am optimistic that a new page will soon be opened in the history of the company and the railway in the country.
We keep going!”
During the meeting, the President and CEO of ERGOSE, Mr. Christos Vinis noted: “We were visited today by the Secretary General of Infrastructure with whom we discussed the progress of the railway projects. The projects planned and implemented by ERGOSE are public works of a strategic nature and have a high economic multiplier. They are vital projects that are changing the landscape of passenger and freight transport. Their implementation is a major challenge for ERGOSE. A challenge that is also a great opportunity to help our country make the necessary leap forward in terms of development.”
For more information you can contact the following contact details:
Tel: 210 5283 492
Email: info@ergose.gr
About ERGOSE:
ERGOSE S.A. was established in 1996 as a subsidiary of OSE and belongs to the public utilities. The company’s mission is to complete a modern railway network that will constitute an important development pillar for the Greek economy and society, contributing to the safety and speed of transport of people, goods and freight. In this context, ERGOSE S.A. currently manages the modernization projects of the railway lines and facilities of OSE co-financed by the Operational Programmes of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) 2014-2020 from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2014-2020 as well as projects with purely national funding that are necessary to complete the investments of the co-financed programmes. The company currently employs more than 200 experienced and highly qualified staff, while it has been providing its services for more than two decades, responding effectively and reliably to the implementation of projects through its excellent organization, structure and systems.
