Deal to extend tram to Piraeus picks up speed
The Transport Ministry and the Municipality of Piraeus are close to an agreement to extend the city’s tram network into the country’s largest port after three years of talks on the issue. Sources said yesterday that talks are near completion but haggling over the tram’s exact route has kept the agreement from being finalized. The ministry wants to expand the tram’s network because an extension into the city’s southern neighborhoods could add another 40,000 passengers to the transport system. The increased use could help the tram halve its current annual operating loss of about -13.5 million. News that the ISAP Athens-Piraeus Railway will be put underground in Piraeus has revived interest in the tram extension as more space will be available for tracks.
