Greek PM says rail disaster a human error, station master blames the technical failure

Demonstrators poured into the streets of Greece after a head-on collision between two trains amid anger over the country’s weak record on railway safety.

Protesters clashed with police in the Greek capital Athens after a passenger train carrying more than 350 people collided with a freight train on Tuesday evening in Tempi, leaving at least 46 people dead and scores injured. 

According to a 2022 report from the European Union Agency for Railways, Greece has a weak record of railway passenger safety compared with other countries in Europe. It has the highest railway fatality rate per million train kilometers from 2018 to 2020 among 28 nations on the continent.

In an extraordinary meeting, the Greek federation of rail workers decided unanimously to launch the 24-hour strike on Thursday to highlight poor working conditions and chronic understaffing.
 
Greek Transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis said that the railway system the government inherited was not up to 21st century standards as he stepped down from his role on Wednesday.

In a televised address after visiting the crash site, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the collision was mainly due to tragic human error. He said the Transport Minister’s decision to resign was honourable, and added that the heads of Hellenic Railways Organisation and its subsidiary ERGOSE have also submitted their resignations.

Condolences poured in from across the world, while a three-day period of mourning is underway in Greece.air

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