A train operated by Hellenic Train on the Thessaloniki–Athens route broke down early on Wednesday afternoon, coming to a halt on the Ekkara bridge near Domokos. According to a statement from the company, passengers were eventually transported to their final destination by Hellenic Train buses. Some chose to continue their journey to Athens on the next available train.The incident once again raises questions about the condition of Greece’s railway system. Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis had referred to “wrecks” operating on the tracks in his first interview following the fatal Tempe train crash in March 2023 – a comment that now appears to echo the ongoing dire the state of the rail network.

In its official announcement, Hellenic Train confirmed the breakdown and detailed its response: passengers were initially transferred to Lianokladi station by a recovery engine dispatched from the same location, which arrived just over an hour after the incident. From there, they either continued their journey by bus or boarded the following train service bound for Athens.

“Hellenic Train announces that today, 30 April, the IC53 train operating the Thessaloniki–Athens route, carrying 190 passengers, experienced a mechanical failure and came to a stop at 13:18, just after the Ekkara bridge.”

The company considered it necessary to add that it provided snacks and bottled water to passengers during the wait and said staff were on hand throughout to offer support and minimise disruption.

Hellenic Train reiterated its commitment to improving service quality and said it is currently investigating the cause of the malfunction.

Back in March 2023, Mitsotakis had criticised the condition of the trains provided to Greece, saying, “We will sit down with Hellenic Train and the Italian government to reach a better agreement about how both sides should invest in the Greek railway. I’m not necessarily interested in acquiring a state share in Hellenic Train, but I am interested in ensuring that Hellenic Train brings us its best trains – not, if I may say, the ‘wrecks’ they might be retiring from service in Italy.”

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