A delegation from the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament (PETI) will visit Greece in Septemberto evaluate what has changed since train accident in Tempe, which claimed the lives of 57 people, and how European safety standards are met.
The decision on the mission was made by the European Parliament even earlier: the delegation should visit Athens and Larissaand representatives of the transport committee have been invited to the work of PETI. The focus is on the state of the railway infrastructure, traffic safety, European funding and implementation of EU legislation.
— The European Parliament sends a fact-finding mission to Greece on the Tempi case;
— European structures continue to study railway safety and the use of EU funds;
— European prosecutors have already filed charges in the contract case 717 dozens of officials and contractor representatives;
— an official investigation revealed serious violations in the preservation of the disaster site and the loss of important evidence;
— Polls show that most Greeks still suspect an attempt to conceal responsibility.
Tempi has long ceased to be just a train accident
The disaster occurred February 28, 2023when a passenger and freight train collided head-on near Tempe. Died 57 peoplemost of them are young people and students.
Since then, the investigation has turned into one of the biggest political and institutional crises of modern Greece. The Athens News has repeatedly written about Problems with freight train footageand about subsequent seizure of materials on the “missing videos”.
European prosecutors have already filed charges
To say that European authorities view Tempi solely as an “accident” would be incorrect. European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigates criminal offenses related to the implementation of the EU-funded Contract 717 for signaling and remote control of railway traffic.
Back in 2023, EPPO filed charges 23 suspects, including 18 government employees. In May 2025, additional charges appeared against 16 more individuals, including 13 officials. This involves alleged subsidy fraud, misuse of funds and false documents. “Athens News” wrote about this in detail in the material on criminal prosecution under contract 717.
At the same time, EPPO investigates crimes against the financial interests of the EU and related actions. It does not replace the Greek criminal investigation into the immediate causes of the deaths of 57 people.
Destroyed evidence is no longer just an accusation against relatives
One of the most difficult questions remains what happened to the crash site immediately after the collision. The National Transport Accident Investigation Authority found that the scene of the accident was not properly stored: Materials were moved by heavy equipment, ground was leveled, and evidence collection was seriously flawed.
In other words, some critical information was indeed lost. This is no longer a rumor, but the conclusion of an official investigation. It is this topic that has become one of the grounds for accusations of “cover-up” that are heard in society.
Most Greeks do not believe the official version completely
Mistrust is widespread. In March 2026, an Alco survey showed that 67% of respondents believe that the government attempted to conceal responsibility in the Tempi case, and 73% They don’t believe that the real culprits will be punished.
Previously, Athens News provided other data: 71.9% of GPO respondents believed that the government was trying to hide the facts of the caseand the MRB survey showed that 77.5% do not believe the justice system is doing everything possible to fully investigate.
Freight train, fuel and versions that are still not closed
A separate line of debate concerns the freight train’s cargo and the cause of the massive fireball following the collision. Relatives of the victims, experts and part of the independent Greek media have repeatedly suggested the presence of undeclared flammable substances or fuels. Versions about xylene and other hydrocarbons were heard in the public sphere.
There is no final judicial confirmation of the version of illegal cargo. However, the issue remains the subject of investigations and litigation, including due to problems with video recordings of the loading of the cargo train. The Athens News previously examined in detail versions of the origin of the explosion and possible unknown fuel.
More serious versions are also circulating in independent media and social networks – about the possible connection of illegal cargo with fuel smuggling networks, political patronage and attempts to protect specific participants in this system. These statements are still not proven by courtand a direct confirmed connection between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and such a scheme has not been established in the open materials of the case.
Why the visit of the European Parliament is important
The petitions sent to the European Parliament raise precisely the questions that relatives of the victims have been asking for years: why the alarm system was not completed, why the location of the disaster was changed, what the freight train was carrying and why the judicial investigation took so long.
More Stories
The EU has limited Greece’s request to €700 million: assistance is possible, but only within the framework of current rules
Russian gas again in Europe? The US and Russia are discussing a deal around Nord Stream
Greece will purchase American weapons worth $4 billion: what was included in the agreement with the United States