Greece to try dozens over deadly 2023 train crash
ATHENS: Thirty-six people will stand trial in Greece for a deadly head-on collision between two trains in 2023 that killed 57 people and sparked nationwide protests, a judicial source said on Monday (Sep 29).
The appeals court in the city of Larissa approved a prosecutor’s request for the 36 to face charges including involuntary manslaughter and negligence, the source told AFP. No date has been set for the trial.
Greece’s former top railway regulator, a former rail company executive and the station master on duty the night of the crash are among those who will stand trial.
CALLS FOR JUSTICE AFTER FATAL COLLISION
The disaster on Feb 28, 2023 left dozens dead and hundreds injured when a freight train and a passenger train travelling between Athens and Thessaloniki collided near Larissa. The trains had been running on the same track for several minutes without triggering an alarm system.
The tragedy triggered mass protests across the country, with hundreds of thousands demanding accountability for years of neglect in the rail system.
Among the accused is Larissa station master Vassilis Samaras, who was inexperienced and working alone that night. He admitted mistakes immediately and has spent around 18 months in pre-trial detention.
An investigation revealed severe deficiencies in Greece’s outdated railways and signalling network.
WIDER RESPONSIBILITY
Those to stand trial also include the former head of the Regulatory Authority for Railways, a former executive of OSE, the company responsible for maintaining the rail network, and senior transport ministry officials.
Two executives of Hellenic Train, the Italian-owned passenger rail operator, will also face minor charges, the source said.
In June, the Greek parliament launched a probe into the possible responsibility of then transport minister Kostas Karamanlis, who resigned a day after the crash.
The father of one of the victims has been on hunger strike outside parliament in Athens for nearly two weeks.
