Athens’ metro line 4 faces further delays, with completion now pushed to 2032 at the earliest – and likely 2034, according to the construction consortium.
The contractor, a joint venture of AVAX, Ghella SpA, and Alstom Transport SA, is challenging a February 2026 decision by Elliniko Metro setting the new delivery date at September 2032, arguing the timeline is unachievable. The consortium originally proposed extending the contract to February 2034.
Elliniko Metro has also demanded the consortium return a €57.7 million early-delivery bonus – 5% of the €1.15 billion contract – paid in late 2022. The minister of infrastructure has agreed to defer that repayment “for the time being.”
Both sides trade blame for delays, with Elliniko Metro accusing the contractor of artificially inflating construction timelines at one station by 21.5 months. The dispute heads to arbitration – a process that historically favors contractors over the Greek state.