Greek Railroads Can Be Reopened In Late March After Closing Due To Deadly Crash - Gov't

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2023) Railroad movement suspended following a deadly train crash in Greece could be restored in late March, government spokesman Yiannis Economou said on Friday.

On Thursday, a cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis discussed measures to restore railroad safety in the country. State Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, who is also currently in charge of the Transport Ministry, delivered a report to those present.

"The Minister of State presented urgent measures to reopen the country's rail transport from the end of March 2023 with increased security guarantees such as the mandatory presence of two station heads at each station, even if this requires a reduction in the volume of transportation," Economou said.

Gerapetritis presented fresh data on the accident and listed immediate measures taken to investigate it, according to the spokesman. The minister also reported on long-term measures to improve safety in rail transport, including staffing decisions, involvement of the national agency for the investigation of aviation and railroad accidents and transport safety, established in January 2023, and using technical assistance provided by international experts.

"The Minister of State spoke about the measures that are underway or initiated to strengthen the staff of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), as well as the progress and actions to accelerate the measures of the electronic modernization of the railroad infrastructure, which will be completed by September 2023," the spokesman said.

On March 1, a passenger train collided with a freight train near the city of Larissa. The passenger train had switched to the freight train's lane before the accident, which brought them both on the same track and resulted in a head-on collision that claimed the lives of of 57 people. The head of the Larissa station was arrested. According to reports, he admitted his guilt and said that he had mistakenly sent a passenger train along the wrong track. Railroad workers, in turn, talked about chronic safety issues that authorities have been ignoring for years. The Greek government promised to fully investigate the causes of the catastrophe.