Greek Authorities Evacuate 40 Metro Stations in Athens after Explosives Warning

An anonymous bomb alert on the Athens metro lines disrupted the facility's services for about two hours. This led the Greek authorities to evacuate at least 40 stations and suspension services.

The operator, Stasi, said it had evacuated and closed its control center and more than 40 stations on both metro lines on police orders, including services to Athens International Airport, AFP reported.

The moves came in response to an anonymous call from a Greek news portal, stating that explosive devices had been placed in the Syntagma metro center and the nearby Monastiraki station, near the touristic Plaka district of the Greek capital.

The Greek state news agency, Anna, said services had resumed after a search by officers in police bomb squads and the use of sniffer dogs.

It is worth noting that the Athens Metro is a rapid-transit system in Greece which serves the Athens urban area and parts of East Attica. Line 1 opened as a conventional steam railway in 1869 and was electrified in 1904. In 1991, Attiko Metro S.A. constructed and extended Lines 2 and 3. It has significantly changed Athens by providing a much-needed solution to the city's traffic and air pollution problem, as well as revitalizing many of the areas it serves. An extension of Line 3 is under construction towards Piraeus and also other extensions of existing lines, as well as a new Line 4, whose central section began construction in October 2021.

The Athens Metro is actively connected with the other means of public transport, such as buses, trolleys, the Athens Tram, and the Proastiakos Athens suburban railway.

The Athens Metro is hailed for its modernity (mainly the newer lines 2, 3) and many of its stations feature works of art, exhibitions, and displays of the archeological remains found during its construction.

Photography and video-taking are permitted across the whole network[4] and street photographers often work in Athens Metro. This is the only metro system in Greece until the Thessaloniki Metro begins operation in 2023.