Residents of Keratea in eastern Attica are threatening to scupper plans unveiled yesterday to extend the Proastiakos suburban railway from Athens International Airport to the port of Lavrion, east of Athens.

The Keratea residents are unhappy that the government is sticking to plans to build a landfill in the area. Local authorities said they would “block” the laying of 20 kilometers of track through Keratea if the dump is built.

According to the plans, a 31-kilometer extension from Koropi station to Lavrion will be built by 2012. Eight new stations will be constructed along this stretch of track.

The extension will also provide a direct connection between the airport and the port of Lavrion. The journey will take around 10 minutes and make it much easier for tourists arriving in Greece to catch ferries to some of the islands near Lavrion.

The project is expected to cost some 110 million euros and will be financed from the funds that Greece receives from the EU as part of the Fourth Community Support Framework.