Suburban railroad: Small and inadequate
The suburban railway: The initial goal of 154 kilometers of railway by 2004 has been whittled down to 54 kilometers, and then to 32, or even fewer. Another goal was to have modern, electronically equipped, electrically powered trains running as well as modern signals. But there’s every indication that the new suburban railroad will start out using diesel-fueled engines. Transport Minister Christos Verelis mentioned the possibility recently, saying: «There may be a brief period of diesel operation.» Christos Tsitouras, managing director of ERGOSE, the company in charge of the suburban railroad project, declares he is reasonably optimistic, describing the deadlines as strict but realistic. He attributed the openly admitted delays to the way in which the project was tendered, in accordance with the new regulations of the Third Community Support Framework (CSF III). He believes the high forfeits stipulated in all three contracts will ensure that the jobs are completed before their deadlines and within their budgets. Many people who were in favor of the railroad and have supported it are now referring to the project as a parody of the suburban railway that was to have been up and running by August 2004. Their concern stems not only from the usual delays associated with nearly all major projects, but also from certain aspects of the procedures and work connected with the railway. For example, they cite the fact that commissions paid for assigning certain works have reached the unprecedented level of more than 30 percent of the total budget. Some contractors made excessively low tenders, which means budgets are now being overshot, especially for the subcontract covering all the electrification and signaling for the railroad. Moreover, there have been considerable delays. The only substantial work done so far has been on the infrastructure from the airport to the Acharnon Rail Hub (SKA),which is thought to be the easiest part, as there is already a special lane down the center of Attiki Odos. Finalization of the sub-contract covering the railway from Treis Gefyres to SKA, the work to upgrade SKA, and all the work on signals, remote controls, electrification and the construction of eight new train stations for the Treis Gefyres-SKA-Spata Airport line is expected when the definitive agreement, now in the hands of the examining committee, is signed in the next few weeks. The third sub-contract, which is presently in abeyance, covers construction of infrastructure, signals, electrification and train stations for the Rendi-Athens line. These delays are just the tip of the iceberg, as they in turn cause major changes and cutbacks in the works just so that some form of suburban railway will be ready by August 2004. Among the victims are the planned quadrupling of lines and a flyover for the Rendi-Athens-SKA line, «since the time to complete the work would go beyond the 2004 limit,» according to ERGOSE. Without these works, however, experts say that the railway will not have the requisite capacity or schedule for more frequent trips than the current inter-city service. The fate of electrification is also uncertain. The basic problems here are tight time limits for the sub-contract and the likelihood that the budget will have been spent long before this project begins. The problem Anther serious problem affecting electrification is the construction of rolling stock. Skaramangas Shipyards has not yet started on the task of building the 20 electric-powered twin railway carriages. The German company, which was bought out by an American firm and which is the most likely purchaser of the shipyards, is extremely unwilling to undertake construction of the carriages because the contracts signed in 1997 do not cover the real cost. Despite statements by ERGOSE and the transport minister that the carriages are under construction, the final contract has not been signed. Experts say construction will take at least 24 months without any delays or setbacks. Serious doubts exist over the completion of the complex signaling system, for which not even the preliminary study has yet been made. Meanwhile, there is no sign of work on the new depot at Rendi or new stations up to SKA, and only the first stage of work on the new Athens station at the existing Larissa Station is expected to be completed. Nor is it yet known who will operate the suburban railroad. So far, any projects and activities connected with it have been handled variously by the Greek Railways Organization (OSE) and its subsidiary ERGOSE, but no overall organization has been created to run the system, plan pricing and marketing, parking, transfers and cooperation with other organizations. The suburban railway project started out to high praise. It is probably the only project whose necessity is generally acknowledged. Ministries, the European Union, technocrats and ecologists all agreed it was needed. And that was because it was an environmentally friendly way of meeting transport requirements for the Olympic Games in 2004 and easing traffic congestion. But it has proved to be yet another lost race against time, and another lost opportunity for Athens to acquire a highly efficient means of public transport.
