Since at least 2019, the French company Alstom, participating in the consortium for the implementation of the now infamous contract 717 to reduce the staff of signaling and telemechanics of the ECE network, began to receive time-ravaged, missing repair and vandalism of railway stations in order to carry out the necessary work and restore their work. As you know, electronic systems that have been installed and operated since the mid-2000s gradually fell into disrepair and stopped working in the period 2010-2012.

In accordance with the international protocols implemented by the French Alstom, upon receiving the stations, the company’s employees photographed in turn the technical premises of the signaling system, that is, the places where the electronic systems that ensure the operation of the signaling systems are located. Cause; For the company, as well as for the owner of the project, i.e. ERGOSE, there must be a clear idea of ​​what condition the stations were in when they were received, and how they were delivered at the stage of completion of the contract. A specific file with photos “before” and “after” the stations is published today by “K”.

It contains photographs of over 20 technical signal stations located along the railway network from Athens to Thessaloniki. From the photo archive it follows that most of the stations were handed over to Alstom in 2021, that is, immediately after the signing of the contract for an additional budget of more than 13 million euros. Her signature was qualified as a decision to get the project off the ground, the contract for which was signed seven years ago, without completing the work. Accordingly, the photographs against which the comparison is being made were taken on March 10, 2023, ten days after the fatal train accident at Tempe.

The OSE leaders explained to K that the signaling and telemechanics project had been completed and delivered to the section from Plata to Idomeni and Promakhon. The section from Domoko to Larisa has been signalized since December 2022. According to the government’s schedule, it will be completed and fully operational by September. Alstom’s photo archive still shows parts of the open line, including some of the northern suburbs of Attica that were badly damaged by the Parnit fire in August 2021, as well as photographs of electronic engravings destroyed – up to a few months ago. board at Larisa station.