Former Greek Transport Minister Faces New Scrutiny Over Deadly Train Crash

16:02 28/4/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

Former Greek Transport Minister Kostas Achilleas Karamanlis is once again under intense political scrutiny, as judicial authorities move closer to referring him to Parliament over potential criminal liability in the 2023 Tempi railway disaster.

A file compiled by an appellate judge in Larissa

details allegations that Karamanlis and other officials failed to ensure adequate safety measures on Greece’s rail network, despite repeated internal warnings.

The Supreme Court prosecutor is expected to send the case file to the Justice Minister imminently, who will then submit it to Parliament for review. Testimonies from senior Transport Ministry officials, who face charges of endangering public safety, claim that political leaders had long been informed of critical system deficiencies, incomplete modernization projects, and staffing shortages. Official memos highlighting these risks were reportedly sent as early as 2021.

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, speaking to Greek television, insisted the government would not shield anyone from justice, referencing a previous case — the so-called "Triantopoulos model" — as a standard for full transparency. "If a file comes to Parliament, we will evaluate it and act accordingly. We will not mince words," Marinakis said.

At the same time, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis sought to redirect focus toward sweeping reforms, announcing urgent upgrades to Greece’s railway infrastructure. Addressing the Cabinet, he described a plan to overhaul operations with advanced safety technology, including the ETCS automatic braking system and a cutting-edge real-time train tracking system with centimeter-level precision. These technologies, he said, would soon allow the public to monitor train movements via a new online platform.

Mitsotakis compared the planned transformation of Greece’s railways to the turnaround of the state energy company DEI, which was rescued from near-bankruptcy in recent years. He emphasized that Greece’s railway agency OSE would adopt stricter hiring practices, mandatory psychological testing for staff, and digital monitoring of all operational communications. He acknowledged that these reforms aim not only to modernize the system but to restore public trust shattered by the Tempi disaster, which claimed 57 lives.

“We owe it to the memory of the victims to tackle the root causes of this tragedy, not with empty promises, but through visible, lasting change," Mitsotakis said. "What did not change for decades, must change now."

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Former Greek Transport Minister Faces New Scrutiny Over Deadly Train Crash,