Athens, Greece – Today, February 28, 2025, marks two years since the devastating Tempi train collision on February 28, 2023, when a passenger train and a freight train crashed head-on near the Tempi Valley, killing 57 people and injuring at least 85 others.
As Greece grinds to a halt with a nationwide strike and mass protests, a long-awaited 178-page report released yesterday by the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority has blamed human error, outdated infrastructure, and major systemic failures for the nation’s deadliest rail disaster.
The crash occurred just before midnight when the passenger train, operated by Hellenic Train and carrying 350 passengers from Athens to Thessaloniki, collided with a freight train on the same single-track section of the Athens-Thessaloniki line. Both trains were traveling at speeds of up to 100 mph, derailing multiple carriages and igniting a fire that ravaged the first two passenger cars. Over 150 firefighters, 40 ambulances, and helicopters worked through the night to extract survivors and recover bodies from the wreckage.
The independent investigative committee found that a routing mistake by the Larissa stationmaster sent the passenger train onto the same track as the oncoming freight train. The stationmaster, arrested and charged with manslaughter and negligent bodily harm, admitted to human error in directing the trains. However, the report also pointed to deeper issues: poor training, staff shortages, and a deteriorating railway system lacking automated safety controls. It highlighted a chronic lack of public investment during Greece’s 2010-18 financial crisis, which left critical upgrades—like a €71 million signaling system project from 2017—unfinished by 2023.
Released on the eve of the disaster’s second anniversary, the report has intensified public fury over the slow pace of a separate judicial inquiry. Today, Greece stands still as the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and other unions launched a 24-hour strike, halting all rail, ferry, and public transport services. Air traffic controllers have grounded commercial flights, though emergency and military operations continue. In Athens, tens of thousands are expected to gather outside Parliament, following protests in over 100 cities in January 2025 that saw over 30,000 march in the capital alone on the first anniversary.
The judicial investigation remains unresolved, with forensic teams still examining wreckage and black box data. Lawsuits from 36 survivors and victims’ families target railway officials, while allegations of a cover-up—including rapid site clearance—persist. As of February 27, 2025, no trial date is confirmed, and legal proceedings against railway personnel and management continue amidst nationwide calls for accountability.