Exploring the Athens Metro
Omonia Station, Athens Metro
I recently visited the Athens metro. Athens expanded its metro dramatically for the 2004 Olympic Games, especially in the central city. The new system incorporated an existing 1896 line, which gives some of its stations a 19
th century flavour. Many of the newer stations serve as mini-museums for the fascinating artefacts dug up in constructing the subway. The system is now cheap, efficient, and takes tourists where they want to go, while reducing road congestion.
In the last 30 years of the 20
th century, car traffic in Athens increased by 2000%. The increase in car use led to a 26% increase in travel times within the city. For the sake of the city – and the 2004 Olympics – Athens set about an ambitious metro expansion plan in the 1990s. By the opening ceremonies for the 2004 Olympics, 27 km of track with 28 stations had been built for a cost of 3.4 billion dollars.