Millions in EU funds invested in rail network

Almost 800 million euros have been allocated in aid to the Greek railways by the European Union, according to a representative of the European Commission in comments to Kathimerini. 

The first amount for the installation of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) was already allocated way back in 2000.

The ERTMS is the system of standards for management and interoperation of signaling for railways in the countries of the European Union.

The spokesman claimed that there has been continuous support with funding from the European Union and noted that despite all the efforts to bring the country into line with European legislation, “the railway infrastructure network in Greece is still owned and managed by fully state-owned companies.” 

“There is still a need for improvements to Greek rail lines,” the spokesman said, adding that in its Recovery and Resilience Plan, introduced to help the country recover from the Covid-19 pandemic with EU funds, the Greek government has identified the need to improve infrastructure and its management as a priority. 

He said the government has recognized the problems associated with the management of rail projects and has agreed on a number of reforms to be implemented in the coming years.

Since 2014, €697.3 million has been disbursed by the EU for Greek railways. 

In addition, a further €87.8 million euros has been disbursed since 2000 to date in the form of co-financing with Greece.

A further €130 million from the Recovery Fund and €50 million from the Public Investment Program will follow. 

European funds for Greek railways come from three main sources: the Cohesion Policy Package, the Connecting Europe Facility, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan.