Major railroad projects will expand trade with Turkey

During a visit to the northeastern region of Thrace in which he briefed regional director and authorities on railway projects, the minister said that the Strymon River-Drama-Alexandroupoli railway line (367km) and the Alexandroupoli-Ormenio line (195km) have been proposed for funding by new programmes under the newly-installed European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Plans call for running the trains on electricity. One project will facilitate trade between Evros prefecture, Thessaloniki and Athens, and the other will transform Pythio and Ormenio into entryways for commerce from Turkey to central and western Europe, as well as Black Sea countries, Chryssohoidis said.

He also said that in terms of road projects, both ongoing and planned, the Regional Alexandroupoli Road project - extending over 5.7km and costing 55 million euros, linking the city centre with the port and Egnatia Road - is under process of being included in the new EU National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) funds. All preliminary studies are complete and environmental conditions have been met, he said.

The turnaround of Komotini will be ready by end-2014. Additionally two more roads leading off Egnatia towards the Greek-Bulgarian borders are progressing, with the remaining sectors to be auctioned off. The Drama-Kavala road work reports are in process and will be completed in the first half of 2015, while the studies for the Xanthi-Exhinos-Greek/Bulgarian borders will be completed by end-year.

"In our country we have spent a lot of money on infrastructures, we have created major road networks, but the railroad one was never developed even though it is a transportation means that is ecologically friendly, economic and lends itself to growth," Chryssohoidis said, adding that "the railroad from Strymon River to Pythio and Ormenio, which will be the focus of trade to Turkey and to Bulgaria, is a matter of strategic importance."