During his visit to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport today, PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the need to upgrade Greece’s railway network, particularly the Athens-Thessaloniki line, as "extremely urgent." He also reiterated his promise that public transport would look significantly different by 2027—four years after the Tempe train disaster. He acknowledged public protests as a sign that "we need to move faster—this is what citizens expect from us."

On 18 March, more than two years after the Tempe train disaster, Mitsotakis stressed the pressing need to modernise the railway network between Athens and Thessaloniki, making it both more technologically advanced and safer.

“The public demands quicker response from us,” the PM stated during a meeting at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, attended by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis.

Once again, he pointed to the “long-standing inefficiencies of the deep state” and announced that a detailed plan for public transport improvements would be presented in early April. He reaffirmed his pledge that by 2027, public transport would be completely transformed.

Mitsotakis outlined plans to introduce new buses, recruit more drivers, upgrade trains on Metro Line 1, and carry out improvements on Metro Lines 2 and 3. It is worth noting that a 160-metre semicircular tunnel was mistakenly excavated outside the project’s initial plans during construction on Metro Line 4 in Katehaki.

He also claimed that by 2027, “significant infrastructure projects” would be completed. Specifically, he said that a large portion of the Northern Crete Highway (BOAK) should be delivered by the end of 2027. Additionally, the Patras-Pyrgos highway and the Thessaloniki Metro expansion are expected to be completed by 2025. The E65 motorway is due for completion in 2026, and the Thessaloniki Flyover is set to be finished by 2027.

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