Crews will begin removing the first section of trolleybus cables Sunday, along Piraeus’ Akti Miaouli, launching a broad overhaul of Athens’ public transport network. The Transport Ministry plans to replace trolleybuses with next-generation electric buses, starting in Piraeus’ coastal corridor, where a dense web of overhead wires has long caused traffic problems.

Officials estimate about 70% of the region’s 143-kilometer cable network will be dismantled. Lines will remain only on major, straight corridors, where selected trolley routes will be concentrated to improve frequency and maintain service. Maps released by the ministry show Athens’ current “dense and labyrinthine” system giving way to a streamlined layout limited to arterial roads such as Patission, Acharnon, Alexandras, Mesogeion and Syngrou.

Routes will continue operating using electric or conventional buses. In Piraeus, bus replacements have already begun on Lines 16, 17 and 20.