
Speaking on Open TV, Maria Hatzikonstantinou, legal representative for the families of the victims who worked in the train’s cafeteria, exposed the company’s stance, calling it “shameless and unlawful.”
“Hellenic Train initially compensated passengers, granting them the initial sum of €43,000. But do you know there are victims’ relatives who have received nothing—despite their loved ones being on the train—because they didn’t have a ticket? Simply because they were workers?” she stated.
She stressed that under European regulations, all passengers—including employees—are entitled to compensation. “Cafeteria workers are passengers, and they must be compensated accordingly,” she added.
After two years of legal battles and out-of-court settlements, the families have now escalated their claims, formally notifying the Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS). Hatzikonstantinou also highlighted that these workers were not even direct employees of Hellenic Train but were contracted through a catering company. “At least two of these workers were burned alive,” she said. “There is a blatant violation of European law. Compensation cannot be selective.”
On the ongoing investigation into the presence of illegal cargo on the train, she recalled that those raising concerns were initially dismissed as “scoundrels.” However, through the persistent efforts of victims’ families, lawyers, and technical experts, new evidence has emerged—two years after the tragedy—validating these concerns.
“If the trial had started last summer, the illegal cargo would not have been confirmed. Hellenic Train continues to withhold crucial evidence, which we, the families and legal representatives, know for a fact is in their possession. This is a cover-up,” she asserted.
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