A Brief History Of The Athens Metro

Digging works for two underground lines had begun in 1992. But it wasn’t easy considering the fact that Athens is more than 3,000 years old and, therefore, many unearthed treasures lie beneath the city. As such, more than 50 archaeologists were commissioned to help with excavation works. Every time construction workers found artifacts, digging was suspended and archaeologists took over until all the finds were safely extracted. Today, most of the unique discoveries are displayed in the major metro stations and at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, and are accessible to anyone.

Two of the metro’s main lines, Line 2 (red) and Line 3 (blue), were inaugurated in 2000. Line 3 was extended to the airport in 2004 and to Agia Marina in 2013, while Line 2 was extended to Anthoupoli in 2013 as well. Plans for a fourth line are underway with an expected opening set for 2025. Expanding over 33 kilometers, the new line would add 30 new stations to the network.

Though Athenians suffered with the major traffic jams and deviations caused by the metro works, the pristine marble metro stations (marble is as common in Greece as concrete is elsewhere) today make Athenians very proud of the metro and thankful for its existence.