“Although Greece is a mountainous country and will serve shipping and rail transport, a rudimentary network operates here. The railroad was demoted by the state. The micro-urbanism of the car, interests, “motorists” in transport, production, and the train are left behind. However, it played a very important role in political life because there were thousands of workers in the OSE, a very strong trade union movement, and in business life there was a lot of competition for railroad projects. In search of answers to the horrific accident at Tempe, we spoke to transport ministers. Others by name, others on condition of anonymity testified to their experiences. The above report is one of the highlights in terms of finding the reasons that make railways an eternal “specialization” in our country.

Bankrupt contractors, terminated contracts, litigation, bad contracts, failures, delays. This has been the rule on the railroads for many years.

“And in OSE, as in other public services, a mentality was cultivated that it belongs to the workers, that any decision must either come from them or have their approval through continuous negotiations,” says the former transport minister. “Small accidents happened all the time. And when I said that, I was told that I had become intrusive and that everything was under control,” says a former government official who also headed the same ministry, adding that “The organization, due to its specificity, has always needed strict supervision. Let’s see who was entrusted with this oversight.”

Another politician, speaking on condition of anonymity, speaks of “many adventures. Bankrupt contractors, terminated contracts, litigation, bad contracts, failures, delays. For years, this has been the norm on the railroads.” And he adds that “it is also a matter of discontinuity, it is also a matter of political inadequacy.” And indeed in an area especially burdened by everything that preceded it.

In 2008, for every euro collected, OSE spent 9.5. However, the resolution program cannot be independent.
under the security program.

“Obviously we are all shocked by this accident,” says Kostis Hatzidakis, who was in charge of the transport ministry in two different governments. “I am one of those who have stood up for the OSE both with established notions and with trade unionists. Since 2008 I have been talking about the most problematic organization in Greece and possibly Europe. I have highlighted issues both in terms of security and in terms of transparency of work, finances, thinking for management and employees,” he says. “Citizens are interested in ‘never again’, identifying mistakes and solving the problem, not politicians arguing over dead people,” he adds. Mr. Hatzidakis speaks of the enormous effort made to repair the financial collapse of the Organization, which, as he usually notes, “in 2008, for every euro it raised, it spent 9.5”. However, he adds that the recovery program cannot be independent of the security program.

It places two elements in this parameter. As he states, “the Samara government had about 120 million euros a year for the maintenance of the network, with regard to security. The SYRIZA government, due to budget cuts and the lack of reaction from social groups, has limited these costs to 40 million euros per year, which has been increased by the current government to 90.

“It’s not just about railroads. In general, in public administration, due to the well-known pathologies that are observed horizontally, there is no result that we would all like to serve the citizens. We need a system of incentives and control. Private sector leaders are also needed to instill new perceptions. We need a climate aimed at serving the citizen not in words, but in deeds,” he notes. And on top of that, he adds that “in terms of operation and service to citizens, I expected the Hellenic Train management to do much more than it did. Unlike other privatizations or concessions, this one doesn’t work either. The obvious comparison is with regional airports that have nothing to do with what it used to be.”

Former Minister of Transport Christos Spirtzis, for his part, notes that “some part of the public infrastructure cannot be the object of a supermarket. It must be in the state, have serious leaders and trained workers.” However, he admits that things have not been so rosy on the railroads for many years. “In an organization that had good contractors, guilds, everything, tenders were held for the electronic system that ERGOSE built on site, but OSE did not take over the project. Great pathogenicity. The two agencies, which should work together, had a disagreement. Thus, the project was abandoned, discredited, materials stolen and eventually disabled.”