One more train accident almost happened on Greek railway on the evening of November 5th. Compound commuter train Thessaloniki–Larissa (departure at 17:30) moved for several kilometers along the wrong waybefore being stopped and returned to the right path.
If there had been an oncoming train on that section, the consequences could have been catastrophic. Passengers said they noticed the unusual direction of travel and demanded an explanation. The employee’s response was shocking: “Something happened to the arrow and we went the wrong way“
This incident again brought to mind unreliability and deterioration of the Greek railway infrastructure. According to local media, passengers also complained that many stations on the line were immersed in darkness and had no staff on duty, making people feel unsafe.
One woman, she said, left the station because I was afraid to stay in the dark. Another passenger said that in the morning of the same day the Athens-Larissa train disembarked people at another station without warning.
Problems not resolved after the Tempi tragedy
Almost three years after the tragedy under Tempiwhich claimed dozens of lives, the Greek railway system still suffers from a lack of automated security systemslack of technical personnel and a breakdown in communication between services.
Reconstruction and reform are moving slowly, and each new incident is a reminder that the country is at risk repetition of national catastropheif the system is not upgraded in the coming years.
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