ATHENS — After two years of absence the tram service to and from Syntagma Square is back as of Friday, and is expected to help decongest other forms of public transport in the city.

The Syntagma-Kasomouli section of the line, with stops at Zappeion, Voulagmenis Avenue and Fix, is back in service with safety, following the necessary test runs and safety checks to ensure that the ground beneath the line is stable.

At the same time, authorities have pushed forward the deadline for works on section of the line between the Batis stop in Paleo Faliro and the Peace and Friendship Stadium, where services were interrupted in March 2020 for redevelopment works on the Faliro sea front that required that the line be moved, with the project now expected to be ready by the end of November.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis was in Syntagma on Friday and stated: "Finally, the tram is returning to Syntagma, the heart of the city, after two years of absence. It returns with safety after the interruption of the service and after it was confirmed that there is no danger for the stability of the rails. Our target was for the tram to return to the heart of the city by the end of the year with safety and we achieved it."

"In an extremely difficult time, we offer the citizens more options in modern public transport. We are adding 25 new vehicles to the existing tram fleet and we are planning an extension to Piraeus, as well as an extension of the depot at Elliniko," he concluded.