accident in Tempe cost the lives of dozens of people making it the deadliest railroad tragedy in the nation’s history..

“K” highlights 10 critical questions about the circumstances under which the collision of two trains occurred, as well as the principles of operation of the railway infrastructure in Greece.

– Has there been a network failure in the area?

– There were damages at the Paleofarsalos height and for this reason there was a delay of 48 minutes on the route. However, the train drivers who spoke to “K” report that after Larisa both lines worked, both up and down, and the station master must return the passenger train upstream.

Why were two trains on the same track?

– According to the first estimates, due to pre-existing damage, the passenger train entered the downstream and remained there, and it should be returned to the upstream after Larisa. According to another version, the head of the station turned the “key”, with which the tracks are moved to maneuver the commuter train, and did not reset.

How long did two trains travel on the same track towards each other?

– According to the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Railways, Giannis Ditsas, for about 12 minutes, two trains in Tempi were running on the same track without a warning system or a collision avoidance system.

How do train drivers communicate? Are there communication problems when the train is in the tunnel?

– Communication is also carried out by radiotelephones, which do not always work in all tunnels.

Do trains have a black box?

“It’s not exactly a black box, like in airplanes. However, information is recorded about the movement of the train, its speed, where it stopped.

– Does Hellenic Train have a train tracking system?

– A representative of the company told K that the ETCS system, which monitors the position of trains on the railway network in real time, does not work.

– Is there a remote control system?

– Not for most of the network. The exception is the section Plati – Promahonas (about 190 km), which has been operating for several months. In contrast to the Tiforei – Domokos section, which, although it was installed, was not put into operation.

How many passengers were on the train?

“According to an official statement from the company, “train IC 62 left Athens with 431 passengers, 81 people disembarked at Larissa station and the train continued on its journey with approximately 350 passengers.”

– Passenger tickets are issued in the name?

– Only if they are closed electronically. Tickets issued at the counter are not named, which makes it difficult to identify and accurately count the number of passengers.

What experience did the station manager have?

“Just a few months ago, he was promoted to the position of station manager after a short-term training program, as he previously worked in other positions in the organization.