​Greece is not a country with many trains, because the terrain is not very suitable for extensive railways. True, the Greeks have modernized somewhat in recent years, but they also have a reputation as a country with a lot of accidents. What were the worst? Why does Greece have such a bad security record?

Greece and the worst railway accidents

At least 36 people were killed and dozens injured after a train carrying more than 350 passengers and a freight train collided shortly before midnight on Wednesday in Greece, not far from the city of Larissa.

Also, in the Larissa area, 19 people died as a result of a collision between two trains in 1972.

In May 2017, an Intercity train derailed near the town of Adendro in the Thessaloniki region, crashing into a house, killing three and injuring ten.

• PHOTO/VIDEO Two trains collided in Greece: at least 36 dead, dozens injured

Wednesday’s accident claimed more lives than a very serious accident in 1968 40 km from Athens. Then 34 people died after the collision of two passenger trains near the city of Corinth.

Greece is the worst in the EU in terms of the ratio between the annual distance traveled by trains and the number of victims in train accidents. For example, data compiled by the Center for Transport Research at Imperial College London shows that between 1980 and 2019, there were 11 fatal train accidents in Greece.

Why is rail safety so bad in Greece?

Underfunding, neglect and ignorance – these are the reasons.

There are many sections in Greece that are in dire need of modernisation, there are many single-lane sections and there are long sections where automated signaling and traffic management systems are not installed.

The Greek press also reported on Wednesday that the reason could be that the electronic systems that alert the mechanics to danger on the line often do not work in the locomotive. These systems seem to have been down on some trains for years, and now these issues have caused two trains to be on the same line and collide.

This is a problem that was known about but nothing was done to fix it.

A Greek railway worker told Open TV that the two trains were supposed to be moving 10-12 minutes before the accident on the same line, but because the electronic warning systems were not working, the mechanics did not know that this was a very dangerous situation.

There are areas where modernization is badly needed, there are also major problems with the tracks and there is a shortage of railway staff on the ground. Official reports also show that there were instances where the mechanics did not follow the restrictions and speed limits set by the infrastructure company. In some areas, the trains were moving too fast.

Too many things are done manually, and if there was centralized traffic control everywhere, any train could be stopped remotely, and it could be detected immediately when a train exceeds the speed limit.

In addition to the need for investment in signaling systems, Greece has a major problem with level crossings. And in Greece, drivers are in a hurry, and there, as in Romania, pedestrians cross the railway through dangerous places. But there is another problem: in many villages and communes, illegal and unmarked “special” railway crossings, a kind of short cuts, have been established, which are becoming very dangerous.

• By train from Romania to Greece – Fascinating story and why you can’t go now. About unfortunately low speeds in the Balkans: Bucharest – Thessaloniki, 7 p.m

If we also include pedestrians and drivers who died at railroad crossings between 2010 and 2018, the average is 15 per year.

Sometimes wooden ramps are placed across the lanes, and sand is also poured to make it easier for people to cross. These dangerous installations are carried out with the knowledge of the mayors.

There are fewer crossings on the main Athens-Thessaloniki highway, and there are many fenced areas in the railway area. Things are different with other lines in the southern European country.

It is also an educational problem: in Greece, too, many young people die who get into train cars to take selfies. For example, in the period from 2014 to 2017, seven young people were electrocuted while sitting in train cars.

Greece and its trains

Greece is famous for many things, but not for trains, something normal, if you remember the mountainous terrain in the north and the island, which does not “invite” the construction of railways.

In addition, the country was on the verge of bankruptcy, and the railway company had huge debts and was badly restructured. But in recent years, privatization has been carried out, the main railway corridor between Athens and Thessaloniki has been modernized and trains that can reach a speed of 200 km/h have been launched.

Developed by Alstom 20 years ago, the Pendolino trains, which reach a speed of 200 km/h and travel 502 km in less than four hours, will start running between Greece’s two largest cities, Athens and Thessaloniki, from spring 2022. When new alarm systems are installed, the time will be reduced.

A few decades ago, in the “golden days” of international trains, there was a direct rail connection between Athens and Dortmund, but even between Athens and Moscow, the route was more than 3,300 km long.