New Kifissos bridges to let trains cross in rain
By the end of December, Athenians may be able to use the Kifissia-to-Piraeus electric railway without worrying whether heavy rains will prevent the carriages from crossing the Kifissos River at Moschato, thus severing access to the last four stations at the Piraeus end. The Ministry of Defense said yesterday it would provide the railway company (ISAP) with a couple of free-standing, prefabricated Bailey bridges to replace the current, low-slung structure, which is held up by two masonry piers rising from the riverbed that block some 50 percent of the river’s flow when the Kifissos rises in spate. As a result, in heavy rain ISAP trains headed to Piraeus stop at Tavros station – refurbishment works having rendered the Kallithea and Moschato Piraeus-bound platforms temporarily unusable. ISAP will build the approach ramps in 10-15 days, and the new steel bridges should be ready by the end of December.
