Serious lack of safety and dangerous delays in completing critical infrastructure on the Greek railway network
21.10.2024
Question for written answer E-002198/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Elena Kountoura (The Left), Konstantinos Arvanitis (The Left), Nikolas Farantouris (The Left), Nikos Pappas (The Left)
Just 20 months after the criminal accident at Tempi, the Greek railway network is still plagued by serious deficiencies, with a series of near collisions occurring[1], and deaths and injuries witnessed on level crossings[2]. Despite substantial EU funding going into modernising Greek railways, basic safety infrastructure, namely remote control, signalling and ETCS systems, remain incomplete or inactive across much of the railway network. Meanwhile, the situation is made all the more dangerous by the serious shortcomings seen in terms of maintenance works and work done to clear railway lines across the network. Train drivers have lodged complaints and taken industrial action calling for investments in new rolling stock, the completion of infrastructure and superstructure works, the maintenance and clearing of railway lines and the immediate implementation of the above safety works.[3] The railway network and infrastructure urgently need to be upgraded if further accidents are to be prevented and transport safety guaranteed.
In view of this:
- 1.What will the Commission do to ensure that the Greek authorities complete the remote control, signalling and ETCS systems and the necessary maintenance works and improvements to the Greek railway infrastructure?
- 2.How does it plan to ensure that the systematic breaches of EU law on railway safety and interoperability are remedied?
Submitted: 21.10.2024
- [1] In the context of the serious safety shortcomings seen across the Greek railway network, there have recently been a number of incidents that very nearly ended in accidents. For example, on 9 October, a suburban train was directed onto a metro line at Doukissis Plakentias; on 14 September, a suburban train crashed into a tree trunk; on 13 September, two suburban trains coming from opposite directions ended up travelling on a single track in Agioi Anargyroi; on 29 May, a collision between a passenger train and a freight train near Thessaloniki was averted; and on 10 May, two locomotives collided in Larissa. These incidents show that there is an urgent need to improve the network’s safety measures.
- [2] Tragically, level crossing accidents have caused 35 deaths and left 28 people injured, with Greece ranking second in terms of most dangerous railway crossings in Europe. https://www.avgi.gr/koinonia/494974_pame-kai-opoy-bgei-35-nekroi-kai-28-traymaties-ta-teleytaia-hronia.
- [3] https://www.metaforespress.gr/sidirodromos