Greece Opens First Driverless Metro in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki has inaugurated Greece's first driverless metro, a 9.6 km line featuring 13 stations and powered by Hitachi Rail’s advanced digital signalling technology. The project, which cost approximately three billion euros and took nearly 20 years to complete, is expected to remove 56,000 cars from the city’s roads daily and reduce CO₂ emissions by 77,000 tonnes annually. The metro not only serves as a modern transport solution but also showcases significant archaeological finds, such as a Byzantine market and Roman cemetery, within its stations. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted the metro as a unique project that combines public transport with cultural heritage. Future plans include extending the line by an additional 4.8 km to connect the city center directly to the airport. This initiative represents a major step toward modernizing urban transport in Thessaloniki, aiming to improve mobility and environmental sustainability.