The trial over Greece’s 2023 train crash that killed 57 people has begun, with 36 accused and families demanding truth and justice for the tragedy
LARISSA: A long-awaited trial over Greece’s worst train disaster opened on Monday. The 2023 collision killed 57 people and left the nation in shock.
Thirty-six individuals now face charges related to the tragedy. Over 350 witnesses are due to testify in the trial held in Larissa, near the crash site.
The freight and passenger trains collided on February 28, 2023. Most victims were students returning from a carnival weekend.
“This trial is starting with great delay…what we want is exemplary punishment of those responsible,” said Pavlos Aslanidis, who heads the Association of Victims’ Families. His 26-year-old son died in the accident.
Maria Karystianou, whose daughter also died, called the trial “stunted”. She demanded the full truth about how her child “burned alive”.
The accused include the station master on duty that night, other railway officials, and two Italian former employees of the trains’ parent company. The two trains ran on the same track for over 10 minutes without triggering an alarm.
The disaster exposed critical safety failures in Greece’s railway network. This was despite repeated union warnings and available European Union modernisation grants.
“This trial clearly demonstrates all the corruption of the Greek state, the corruption that killed our children,” said Christos Vlahos, a parent of one victim.
The head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office stated the collision could have been avoided with timely modernisation. Train workers staged a 24-hour strike on Monday in remembrance and protest.
The accident, known as the “Tempe crime”, sparked enduring national anger. Tens of thousands protested on its third anniversary last month.
The station master, Vassilios Samaras, was arrested the day after the collision. Two other station masters who left their posts early are also among the accused.
They are charged with acts dangerous to safety resulting in mass death and injury. Managers from the rail operator and two transport ministry officials are also on trial.
No political officials will be in the dock, fuelling public resentment. The conservative government has faced fierce criticism over its handling of the disaster.
Communist party leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas called the investigation a “blatant cover-up”. He said it was “hurriedly” closed with “huge gaps”.
Two former ministers were referred to justice but face only misdemeanour charges. “There are people who should be here as defendants,” said Aslanidis, naming ex-transport minister Kostas Karamanlis.
Valuable evidence was lost when a bulldozer levelled the crash site days after the collision. The trial is expected to last several years.
Thirty-three defendants face criminal charges risking life imprisonment. None are currently in prison, though some served pre-trial detention.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis won re-election months after the disaster. He also defeated two no-confidence votes on the issue.
