On 28 February 2023, a head-on collision occurred between two trains south of the Tempe Valley in Greece, about halfway between the Greek villages of Tempi and Evangelismos in the Thessaly region. The collision, involving the InterCity 62 (IC62) passenger train and an intermodal freight train, killed at least 57 people, with an official number of 342 passengers and 10 onboard railway staff on the passenger train[5] and 2 staff on the freight train totalling 354 people on both trains.[6] It is the deadliest rail disaster in Greek history. It was discovered that the IC62 passenger train had been allowed to proceed on the wrong track and pass signals at danger despite the presence of the freight train on the same stretch of track.
Vigils, angry protests, and clashes with the police occurred throughout Greece following the crash. Beginning on 2 March 2023, railway workers of Hellenic Train and the Athens Metro went on strike to protest the dangers related to the crash. Following the crash, Transport MinisterKostas Karamanlisresigned, taking responsibility for the crash and for his failure to bring Greek railways to 21st-century standards; he was reelected, after applying just two weeks after the incident.[7]
The case has generated widespread condemnation of the state's handling of the investigation, which has been labelled as bogus with the alleged intent of prematurely concluding it.[8][9] As of 2024, no politicians have been subject to investigation regarding their involvement in the events leading up to the disaster.[10] This has prompted an open discussion among citizens and the media concerning the efficacy of the justice system,[11][12] particularly regarding issues of impartiality and integrity.[13] The government successfully weathered a no-confidence vote on 28 March 2024, despite accusations from the opposition regarding Mitsotakis' handling of the investigation.[14]
Earlier on the same day, an explosion in the electricity network at Palaiofarsalos railway station had caused the overhead line to fall on another intercity train, leading to several delays on the line.[20] The crash site was next to an overpass of the A1 motorway, on a stretch of line that opened in 2003 as part of a reconstruction of the Larissa to Thessaloniki segment of the main line.[21]
Implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS) was initially planned for 2020 but was delayed to late 2023.[22][23] In 2019 telematics in Larissa ceased to work due to a summer wildfire.[24] This collision followed a series of other rail crashes and incidents that had no casualties.[25][26]
Collision
On 28 February 2023, the IC62 passenger train, which was scheduled to depart from Athens to Thessaloniki at 19:22 Eastern European Time (UTC+2), left a few minutes behind schedule at approximately 19:30, carrying around 350 passengers. It was Tuesday night; many of the passengers were students in their20s returning after the long weekend of Carnival celebrations.[27] The IC62 arrived in Larissa late due to the earlier incident at Palaiofarsalos station and left the station at 23:00, departing on the southbound track. At the same time, the freight train was proceeding from Thessaloniki to Larissa on the same southbound track that the IC62 was on.[1][28] The stationmaster at Larissa, who had only been working for one month there, ordered the train to proceed and pass red signals all the way to Neoi Poroi and ordered his assistant – the pointsman – not to "turn the keys" (realign the points) as a local train would be crossing them.[29]
The collision between the two trains occurred at 23:21 on the Athens–Thessaloniki mainline, which is operated by OSE, the Greek national railway company. The section where the crash took place, located 27.3 kilometres (17.0 miles) north of Larissa, was double-tracked and equipped with automatic controls, but switching and signalling were still being controlled manually.[30] The passenger train and the freight train collided head-on halfway between the municipalities of Tempi and Evangelismos just before midnight,[31][32] as the passenger train was exiting the tunnel under the E75 roadway that crossed over the tracks.[33] Due to the darkness at the time of the crash, and the lack of time for the train drivers to react, it was estimated that the passenger train was travelling at speeds between 140 km/h (87 mph) and 160 km/h (99 mph).
In an interview with ERT, the governor of the Thessaly region, Kostas Agorastos, reported that the first four carriages of the passenger train were derailed, and the first two carriages caught fire and were "almost completely destroyed".[34] Passengers reportedly escaped the train through windows that were either broken in the crash or by themselves. Many panicked and some were trapped in carriages that were tilted at least 45degrees. Rescuers were able to open some of the car doors.[34] The force of the impact was able to completely destroy the locomotive of the passenger train while the locomotives of the freight train were pushed against the freight cars they were towing.
Numerous train cars caught fire following the collision, and 17vehicles and 150firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, rescue efforts were made with the assistance of 40ambulances, and over 30police officers at the site.[35][36] The wreckage was so extensive that crane trucks were used to help extricate carriages.[37] The Hellenic Army was called upon to assist.[38] About 250 surviving passengers, including those with minor injuries, were evacuated from the collision site by bus to Thessaloniki.[15][38][39] Fire service spokesman Vassilis Varthakoyiannis was asked about the rescue operation early Wednesday, he reported that [the evacuation was] "being carried out under very difficult conditions". with a local TV channel reporting that some people were still trapped early in the morning.[5]
Victims
Nationalities of the victims
Nationality
Number
Greece
46
Albania
6
Cyprus
2
Bangladesh
1
Romania
1
Syria
1
At least 57 people were killed and 80 others were injured,[36] with 25 of them suffering serious injuries. Of the injured, 66 were hospitalized, with six being admitted to intensive care units.[19][1] It was difficult to identify some victims because temperatures inside the first carriage had reached up to 1,300 °C (2,370 °F).[34] Six Albanians,[40] two Cypriot students,[41] a Romanian,[42] a Syrian[43] and a Bangladeshi[44] were among the dead. The rail disaster is the deadliest in Greek history.[45]
Aftermath
An emergency meeting was called by Greece's government following the crash, and Health Minister Thanos Plevris visited the scene.[46] President Katerina Sakellaropoulou cut short her visit to Moldova "to support those who need it".[47] EMAK (Greekspecial disaster management unit) were ordered to stop all operations on site for Katerina Sakellaropoulou to better understand the crash. She was seen throwing flowers inside the yet to be fully investigated burned wagons.[48][49] Transport Minister Kostas Achilleas Karamanlis resigned after the train crash, stating at the scene of the crash that it was his responsibility to do so "as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly", and that he had "failed to bring the railway system to 21st century standards".[50][51] Later in the week, an official government statement clarified that Kostas Karamanlis had no intention of not running for the upcoming elections with New Democracy, which set off protests at the local area of Karamanlis's electoral prefecture.[52][53] Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis was appointed Transport Minister after the crash.[54]
Investigation
Following the collision, police questioned two rail officials.[55] One of them, Larissa's stationmaster, Vassilis Samaras, who had been working at this post for five consecutive nights and had apparently been alone while on shift,[56] was detained and charged with causing death and injury through negligence.[57] Stamatis Daskalopoulos, Larissa's public prosecutor, who was assigned by Supreme Court prosecutor Isidoros Dogiakos to handle the investigation, stated that while the probe was still in its early stages, the authorities would continue to analyse all evidence and bring to justice those responsible.[58] The Larissa railway station manager admitted to allowing the train through a red signal,[59] but claimed that the set of points from the up line (northbound) to the down line (southbound) had not been working,[60] further arguing that the passenger train should have stayed on the up line to avoid the freight train.[59] It was later discovered that the stationmaster at Larissa had been informed that a freight train was on the southbound track around 17 minutes before the crash, and these entries were later discovered in a ledger.[61]
The tragedy occurred after years of multiple warnings from the train drivers' official body, while the current government was passing legislation to make drivers' ability to take industrial action for safety unlawful.[62] It also coincided with growing demands[63] for the approval by the Parliament[64] of the Rail Accident Investigation Board[65] (Greek: Επιτροπή Διερεύνησης Σιδηροδρομικών Ατυχημάτων και Συμβάντων, romanized: Epitropi Dierevnisis Sidirodromikon Atychimaton Kai Symvanton), an independent body tasked with investigating accidents causing death, serious injuries, or extensive damage on the Greek railway network.[66] Such an institution was required by EU law, and Greece had been brought to court over it just two weeks before the crash.[67] Three weeks before the crash, the rail workers' union had pointed out problems with the administration of the rail network which could put the passengers in danger.[68]
On 16 May 2023, relatives of the victims filed a criminal lawsuit against Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and other ministers and officials.[69]
In November 2023, nine months after the crash, the black box of the Intercity train involved in the head-on collision was located. The recording device was found, according to Kathimerini, in the wreckage of the wagons, which remain in storage at a Hellenic Railways depot. The data recorders were handed over to investigating authorities. It is hoped that the data can shed light on the final moments before the crash.[70]
In an article published by Politico on 26 January 2024, it is alleged that in a letter sent by EPPO prosecutor Popi Papandreou on 2 June 2023 to the Greek authorities, Papandreou noted that during the investigation into the crash "suspicions have arisen regarding alleged criminal offences committed by former members of the Greek Government. These alleged criminal offenses regard breach of duty committed by the former Minister Christos Spirtzis and misappropriation committed by former Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis".[71]
EPPO head Laura Kövesi remarked in 2024 that [the accident] "would never have happened if the projects had been implemented. But we are literally blocked in our investigations... And that's why we can't find out the truth. To do that, the Greek constitution would have to be changed."[72]
Reactions
Following the train crash, the Greek government declared a three-day period of mourning, during which all flags were flown at half-mast, and celebratory events were postponed.[73] The president of the train drivers' association, Kostas Genidounias, said that the electronic systems that warn drivers of danger had not been functional for some years. "Nothing works, everything is done manually. We are 'in manual mode' throughout the Athens–Thessaloniki network", he stated.[74][75]
Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis blamed the crash on railway privatization, comparing it to the Ladbroke Grove rail crash that occurred in London in 1999.[76] Critics blamed a lack of public investment during the deep financial crisis that spanned most of the previous decade for the rail disaster.[77]
Flags outside the European Commission building in Brussels were lowered to half-mast the morning after the accident.[78]Albania declared 5 March a national day of mourning with flags at half-mast in the country.[79] Additionally, the Albanian Parliament observed a minute of silence.[80]
On 26 March 2024, the opposition PASOK party, with the support of the Syriza party, filed a no-confidence motion in the Hellenic Parliament against the Mitsotakis government, saying that it tried to cover up its responsibility over the disaster. The motion came following the publication a report by the newspaper To Vima suggesting that audio transcripts of conversations between the station manager and the train driver leaked to the press following the disaster had been heavily edited to indicate human error in the crash.[81] The motion was defeated in a 159–141 vote on 28 March.[82]
Protests
High school and university students marching in Egnatia street. Ahead, in the distance, the size of the crowd is visible (around 35000 people).
Vigils, heated protests, and riots took place in throughout Greece following the catastrophe, culminating in one of the largest protest movements (about 2,500,000 people) in Greek history,[83] and the catchphrase "Πάρε με όταν φτάσεις" ("Call me when you arrive") became the main protest slogan.[27][84][85] Millions of people participated in vigils, protests, or riots in response to the perceived lack of safety measures.[86][87][27]
On 1 March 2023, the first protests broke out in Athens and Thessaloniki. At the end of the Athens protest, when the demonstrators reached the Hellenic Train headquarters, fights broke out, with the police using tear gas against the crowd.[88][89]
Railway unions declared strikes in protest of Greece's government failing to modernize the rail system.[87][90][91] In response to both the tragedy and growing dissatisfaction of the industry at large, the Panhellenic Union of Train Personnel walked out in protest of working conditions and the failure to modernize the rail network, starting their strike on 2March 2023, despite the STASY metro workers' union suspending planned strike action on the Athens Metro out of respect for the victims the previous day.[77][92][93] Scuffles broke out in Athens with police firing tear gas into crowds that gathered in front of the Hellenic Train's headquarters.[94]
New protests were called in Athens and Thessaloniki on 2[95] and 3 March,[96] with new clashes between the protesters and the police on 3 March.[97]
On 5 March, protests in several cities and towns of Greece occurred. The protest in Athens, with a participation of 10,000 people according to the police,[98] was attacked by the police. Videos include police officers falling with motorcycles into the crowd, hitting and using teargas against peaceful protestors.[99] Solidarity protests occurred in other European cities, including Berlin and Copenhagen.[100]
On 7 March, many schools in Thessaloniki were locked down by the students, forcing the schools to move to online classes for a couple of days. In Athens, students left 57 empty chairs outside the ministry of transport.[101] A 24-hour general strike was called by the Greek Civil Servants' Confederation (ADEDY) to occur on 8 March 2023.[102]
The Confederation of Public Servants of Greece (ADEDY) called a 24-hour general strike for 8 March 2023. Coinciding with feminist demonstrations for the International Women's Day, large protests happened throughout Greece. In Thessaloniki, an estimated 60,000 people participated in the afternoon protest and 25,000 in the evening feminist march.[103]
Several smaller scale protests in various neighborhoods of Athens, Thessaloniki and Patras took place on Saturday 11 March.[104] New demonstrations occurred on 12 March.[105]
The General Confederation of Greek Workers, called a 24-hour general strike on 16 March, which turned into a demonstration of 30,000 people in Athens (according to the police)[106] and several smaller protests in other cities and towns. The protest in Athens, despite being peaceful, was attacked by the police.[107][106] There were cases of police brutality even against junior high school students.[108]
On the first anniversary of the disaster on 28 February 2024, more than 30,000 people marched in Athens to commemorate the crash,[109][110] while church bells across the country were rung 57 times to symbolize the number of fatalities.[111]
The central building of Athens University occupied by protesters during the March 8th 2023 national strike.
Students of the School of Philosophy in Athens University in the massive protests during the March 8th 2023 general strike. Many universities participated in the strike.
One year after the crash, the Association of Relatives of the Victims of the 2023 Tempe railway disaster collected signatures through the online platform change.org, with the aim of abolishing immunity for ministers and commencing an inquiry concerning the involvement of ministers responsible for train safety, after a related revision of the Greek Constitution. Online signatures exceeded 1.3 million.[112] However, article 73(6), which resulted from the 2019 Revision, is still inactive, as no implementing law has been adopted -at the time of signature collection- to define the rules for its application,[113][114] and thus the signatures collected do not initiate the process of a popular legislative initiative, while it remains unclear whether collecting them via change.org would be considered valid.
Documentaries
In March 2024, Mega Channel released a documentary called #MAMAΕΡΧΟΜΑΙ (lit.'#MOM_I'M_COMING_[HOME]'), which records the testimonies of the survivors as well as the stories of the families of the victims, while following the progress of the investigations for the administration of justice. The documentary was presented by journalist Anthi Voulgari.[115][116][117]
Marking the crash's anniversary, in February 2024, a Greek think tank, "Eteron", released the documentary Δικαίωση εν αναμονή (lit.'Justice pending'), in which were presented the thoughts, emotions, and main conclusions drawn from the data collected that far regarding what caused the head-on collision of the two trains and the subsequent events.[118]
During that same month marking the one year anniversary, CNN Greece also released a documentary on the subject, called Στείλε όταν φτάσεις (lit.'Send [a message] when you arrive').[119]
^Kokkinidis, Tasos (1 March 2023). "Train Collision in Greece: Electronic Systems 'Not Working for Years'". Greek Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023. 'Nothing works, everything is done manually ...' throughout the Athens-Thessaloniki network ... neither the indicators, the traffic lights, nor the electronic traffic control is working ... no telemonitoring, or photo-signalling system is working ... in the past electronic systems worked ... security precautions in Greece's railway system are archaic ... .
