According to a report by the  Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, the near-collision occurred on Monday, November 25, 2024, near Katerini. Suburban train 2591, travelling from Thessaloniki to Larissa, had stopped at Korinos station due to a technical problem. Despite this, the signal reportedly remained green, allowing Intercity train 57 (Thessaloniki-Athens) to continue at high speed. The collision was narrowly avoided when the IC 57 drivers, aware of the delay, had slowed down and managed to communicate with the stationary train.

OSE has confirmed the incident and announced an investigation.

PEPE’s letter in full:

“On Monday, 25/11/2024, train 2591 was stopped due to a technical problem at Korinos station. The train IC 57 was following. According to reports from the two drivers of IC 57, while train 2591 was parked at Korinos station, the entry signal was green instead of red. The drivers of IC 57 had reduced their speed, aware that train 2591 was delayed by 15 minutes and experiencing technical problems, thereby avoiding a collision.

This incident is not the first in the Korinos station area. On 16/12/2023, another driver operating train 11595 reported a similar issue. He was informed by Plateos station—via telephone due to poor communication quality—that train IC 53 had stopped inside Korinos station due to technical problems. However, the station’s signal remained incorrectly green instead of red. The driver parked the train immediately, awaiting further instructions from the Remote Control.

As you can see, these two incidents occurred in an area where Remote Control and signalling systems are supposed to be fully operational.

We request that you:

  1. Provide by Thursday, 28/11/2024, the findings related to the incident involving train 11595 on 16/12/2023, specifically the report from the Infrastructure Manager (OSE) with a complete recording of signal indications (main and intermediate) in the area.
  2. Immediately investigate the incident of 25/11/2024 and notify us of the corresponding findings.
  3. Confirm in writing whether the indications of intermediate light signals within OSE’s control area are recorded and visible via the Larissa Remote Control system.

We demand:

  • The immediate adoption of regulatory measures to safeguard traffic safety in the area and their notification in writing to our Association and all train drivers, as these failures may lead to further tragedies.

With reservation of all our legal rights.”

The letter underscores the systemic issues with railway signalling and remote control systems, which, despite being presented as fully operational, have repeatedly failed in critical situations.

PEPE’s warnings echo wider concerns about railway safety in Greece, where past incidents, including the deadly Tempe disaster, have highlighted persistent infrastructural deficiencies and a lack of accountability. The association has called for urgent reforms to prevent further tragedies.

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