According to a report by the Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, the incident occurred on Monday afternoon near Korinos station, just outside Katerini. Train 2591, operating on the suburban Thessaloniki-Larissa route, had stopped due to a breakdown. However, the signalling system reportedly failed to function correctly, displaying a green light, which allowed Intercity train 57 (Thessaloniki-Athens) to continue at high speed. A collision was narrowly avoided thanks to communication between the two train drivers.

The Panhellenic Traction Personnel Association (PEPE) revealed in a letter to OSE, Hellenic Train, EODASAM, and RAS that this was the second near-miss in the Korinos area within the past year.

SYRIZA: “How many ‘near-miss’ accidents can the railway withstand?”

SYRIZA’s parliamentary representative for infrastructure and transport, Giorgos Karameros, sharply criticised the government, stating:
“Once again, we came dangerously close to a new Tempe-like tragedy, this time in Pieria. The government continues to make empty promises about railway modernisation while neglecting the tragic state of the network nearly two years after the Tempe disaster.”

Karameros explained:
“In the section between Aegini and Korinos, a suburban train had stopped on the Thessaloniki-Athens line, while an Intercity train approached at high speed. The collision was only averted because of communication between the drivers. The danger appears to have stemmed from an incorrect signal from the signalman, who instructed the Intercity train to proceed despite the suburban train’s failure to switch lines.”

He added:
“This incident occurred just hours after the government presented a new bill for OSE. Once again, the burden of ensuring safety fell on the train drivers, who are left to compensate for the gaps in an underfunded and discredited organisation. The government’s legislative interventions are purely cosmetic, failing to address the underlying problems, while its priority remains covering up the crime at Tempe.”

KKE: “The policy of ‘leaving things to chance’ remains unchanged”

The Sectoral Transport Organisation from the Greek Communist Party condemned the incident, stating:
“Yesterday’s near-collision at Korinos is yet another serious incident that demonstrates the ongoing failure of Greece’s railway safety systems. IC57, carrying approximately 200 passengers, almost collided with a stationary suburban train that had broken down at Korinos station. The incident was only averted because the IC57 driver overheard the suburban train driver’s radio communication and contacted him by mobile phone.”

The party criticised the government’s inaction:
“Once again, it was the workers who saved the day, not the non-existent or malfunctioning traffic management and safety systems. While the government was celebrating its new bill for the ‘Organisational Reform of the Railway Sector,’ train travel remains perilous. The next Tempe disaster is inevitable under the current policy, which sacrifices transport safety for capitalist profit.”

The statement continued:
“No matter how many laws the government passes, as long as it follows the EU’s liberalisation and commercialisation agenda for transport, essential modernisation, maintenance, and staffing projects will not be prioritised. These needs are dismissed as too costly under the ‘cost-benefit’ framework.”

The KKE also criticised the government’s spending priorities, adding:
“While billions are poured into NATO’s war plans, the lives of Greek and neighbouring peoples are being devalued. It is urgent to strengthen the fight for modern, safe, and affordable public transport and to reject the policies that prioritise profits over the needs of the people. The struggle must grow to ensure that essential services such as hospitals and schools are not sacrificed for frigates, missiles, and NATO’s war ambitions.”

Both parties called for immediate reforms to improve railway safety and ensure that the tragedies of the past are not repeated.

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