Greece’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, has ordered the suspension of work on the overground extension of the Proastiakos suburban railway line to Piraeus, in a decision made public yesterday.

The court decided that authorities had not looked thoroughly enough into the alternative methods of extending the line through the areas of Menidi, Aghioi Anargyroi, Sepolia and Treis Gefyres.

Constructors cited “economic and technical” reasons for not making at least part of the line underground but this was rejected by the judges.

Residents of Aghioi Anargyroi in western Athens appealed to authorities last month to stop the work after waking up to find that 100 pine trees had been felled to accommodate the new line. Some 1,000 trees in total have been chopped down by the constructors.