Rail Safety Upgrade in Greece Is Hobbled by Delays and Neglect

“We put together an action plan and asked Greek authorities to report back on the action plan,” he said. “But our powers are limited.”

He suggested that the European Commission, the bloc’s administrative arm, could take legal action against Greece for failing to maintain safety standards. On Thursday, though, European officials struck a collaborative tone. Adalbert Jahnz, a spokesman for the commission, said the bloc had financially supported Greece and remained in close contact with the authorities there.

The Greek authorities, however, have not been transparent about important railway details. Two weeks before the crash, European officials took Greece to court over its refusal to make public the key contract spelling out how the railway will be managed as it modernizes.

At a news conference on Thursday, the Greek state minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, apologized to the families of the crash victims and promised a thorough investigation. He also vowed to modernize railway infrastructure to “restore the safety of rail travel and boost a sense of security in the psychology of citizens.”

The search operation is expected to conclude early Friday afternoon.

Mr. Doppelbauer said he hoped the tragedy would force improvements on other rail systems across Europe. “Such a catastrophic accident is always a reminder of how important safety is,” he said. “And a reminder for everyone to take the warnings seriously.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/world/europe/greece-rail-safety.html