“Railway Police” to Enhance Security for Train Passengers in Greece(!?)

The Greek government is planning to create a new structure to prevent railway accidents – the so-called railway police.

Following a series of incidents on the railway, the Hellenic Railways Administration (OSE) suggested “measures to strengthen the security of routes and infrastructure of the railway network, including the creation of a railway police, following the example of other European countries”.

Speaking to the state news agency on Monday morning amnaOSE President Yannis Grammatidis, among other things, said regarding the current problem of railway safety: “The goal is to create a new security agency whose representatives will participate in the OSE operations center, which will operate 24 hours a day to deal with emergencies.” Hours later, OSE also announced the creation of a new department to focus on trees and greenery along railway lines.

Last Friday collision of two city suburban trains Proastiakos was averted literally at the last minute, when one of the drivers and the station master realized that the trains were on the same track. The incident took place within the city of Athens, on the Agios Anargyros-Athina section, very close to the central Larissos railway station.

The incident took place on Friday morning in front of Agios Anargyros station. Collision of two trains, which were full of people, could have happened because dispatcher errors OSE at the Acharnon railway centre (SKA). He considered that train 1210, going from Athens towards Athens airportalready passed the single-track section and gave instructions train 1307 from Kiato is “free to pass”.

A system that should show the presence of trains on the section and block the erroneous action of the dispatcher, turned out to be faulty (nothing surprising…). The reflexes of the train driver from Athens saved the situation moments before the fatal outcome. Having accidentally heard on the radio the conversation of the station master at the Acharnon railway center and the order of the 1307th engineer, he acted accordingly. Hundreds of people were saved thanks to the attentiveness of the engineer.

The above event once again highlights the tragic state of the railways and the lack of necessary safety measures, despite the fact that 19 months have passed since the Tempi massacre, which claimed the lives of 57 people.

A day later, a train in Afitnes in eastern Attica collided with… a tree(!), who fell on the tracks. The media reported that the train had just come around a bend and had not yet stopped when the driver saw the tree. The tree's heavy branches hit the driver's cabin, and it is a miracle that the man was not injured.

The problem was “solved” in a traditional Greek blame game where no one is held responsible: OSE said that it was not its responsibility to remove trees, and the Ministry of Infrastructure responded that OSE should apply to clean up a certain area. This is already the second known case collisions trains with wood in 2024. A week earlier, a train door near Athens trapped a disembarking passenger, dragging a woman 50 meters along the station platform.

From the author: I can't imagine how “railway police” can prohibit or prevent such incidents. To beat with police batons the incompetent station masters, train drivers, switchmen and push the disembarking passengers so that they do not stumble? Maybe you have some idea?

I still think that we are talking about another feeding trough, where their own (necessary) people will be placed. The same ones who will later vote for the best party in the world… After all, traditions in Greece are immutable.

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