Athens launched a 24-hour public transport service across the metro, tram, and selected bus lines, with the first full Saturday night of operations completed and weekly service set to continue. From Saturday, September 13, 2025, 11 additional bus lines began 24-hour operation every Saturday, beyond routes already running on a 24-hour or night basis, according to Transport for Athens (OASA). Thousands of passengers used the metro, tram, and buses, with strong uptake among young people.
Greece’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport said the plan upgraded urban transport services and offered a safe, reliable option at all hours, supporting tourism, entertainment, and economic activity, and enhancing the extroversion of Athens. “OASA is now establishing on a stable basis the operation of the Metro (lines 2 and 3), the Tram (lines T6 and T7), as well as selected bus lines on a 24-hour basis, covering vital points of the metropolitan area,” the ministry stated, according to News 247.
“It is difficult to prove but completely true that from today and every Saturday some lives on Greek roads will be saved precisely because the workers are putting in a huge effort so that we now have 24-hour metro, 24-hour bus lines, and 24-hour tram every Saturday night. This is the reason we are doing it, to be able especially to return young people home safely on Saturday night, for their parents who are worried, for every young person who goes out Saturday night in Athens to have fun and wants a reliable alternative so they don't worry about how they will return,” said Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis.
“We are very happy, first because the 24-hour operation of the metro on Saturdays was implemented, and second because thousands of passengers embraced it,” said Thanasis Kottaras, head of Athens’ Tram & Metro operator Urban Rail Transport (STASY). He said the launch required multiple system adjustments and that 250 people worked in the night operation. Kottaras added that employees across all modes played a crucial role in the transition from pilot to permanent operation and that STASY would continue the effort.
“Something is changing,” said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a video posted on TikTok after visiting Syntagma metro station, where he thanked employees for their work on the launch.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.