The gates of the Thessaloniki metro closed on Sunday night and will reopen to the public a month from today.

The reason is the suspension of all services, due to the critical tests for the extension of the Thessaloniki metro network to Kalamaria.

In order to serve passengers, OASTH is activating a special plan, which includes the creation of a new bus line-express that will cover the route of the main line (New Switzerland – Railway Station), with stops along the stations. At the same time, existing lines 3, 31 and 39 are being enhanced, while the agency has suspended all staff leaves.

The temporary shutdown was deemed necessary to integrate the new systems of the expansion, with Deputy Infrastructure Minister Nikos Tachiaos saying the procedure “is not something we could have avoided, but a necessary procedure to seal safety.”

Officials clarify that, unlike the Athens metro, Thessaloniki’s system is fully automatic, driverless and controlled via 5G, making integration testing more complicated.

This phase includes testing the signalling systems and trials for the 15 new trains being added to the fleet, with the aim of delivering the extension to Kalamaria in the first quarter of 2026. A second, shorter global outage is expected early in the new year for final safety certification.