Greece Pushes Rail Reform After Deadly Crash: ETCS, Real-Time Tracking, and Structural Overhauls

Greece’s railways are no longer on autopilot. After years of neglect, a fatal train crash, and EU scrutiny, Athens is racing to install ETCS, real-time tracking, and overhaul OSE and Hellenic Train—all before September.

Greece will equip its entire railway network with automatic remote braking and train control systems (ETCS) by September 2025, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed this week. The announcement marks a major turning point in Greek transport policy, more than two years after the Tempi rail disaster of 28 February 2023, which claimed 57 lives, most of them university students.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on April 28, Mitsotakis stated that real-time train tracking will also be implemented as a secondary safety layer to prevent potential collisions. According to Reuters, accident investigators previously noted that such systems could have prevented the 2023 tragedy and warned that critical safety gaps persist within Greece's railway system.

A Long-Delayed Safety Project Resurfaces Under Pressure

The proposed ETCS implementation revives a 2014 EU co-funded project that had faced repeated delays. As reported by AsiaOne and Anewz.tv, EU prosecutors have since charged several Greek officials with malpractice regarding the project, fueling public frustration and demands for accountability.

According to RAILTARGET, Greece has also been under EU scrutiny for its failure to properly transpose the 2016 European Railway Safety Directive, which mandates an independent accident investigation body. Until recently, the Ministry of Transport itself conducted these investigations—a setup widely criticised as lacking impartiality.

Reforming the System: Hellenic Train and OSE Under Review

Alongside the ETCS rollout, Mitsotakis pledged structural reforms to Greece's railway ecosystem. These include the overhaul of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), which manages infrastructure, and the private operator Hellenic Train, owned by Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato.

The Prime Minister said the government would "help revamp OSE by increasing wages, hiring new staff, and introducing stricter performance monitoring." Hellenic Train will be expected to make further investments in rolling stock and safety systems. This follows a February 17 report by Greece's Air and Rail Accident Investigation Authority (HARSIA), which issued recommendations to the railway regulator, OSE, Hellenic Train, and the Ministry of Transport. These were aimed at addressing long-standing operational and safety deficiencies.

The ETCS has been installed across rail tracks, after a nine-year delay, but is not operational as it has not been added to trains pending certification

It said EU regulations were not implemented correctly in Greece.

Χώρα 🇪🇺 στον αυτόματο πιλότο = Ελλάδα pic.twitter.com/1oznghPgRR

— Loke (@Loke_Is_Real) February 26, 2025

Public Outcry: Protests and Political Fallout

The 2023 train crash triggered Greece's largest public protests since 2019, according to RAILTARGET. Over 60,000 people, including students, teachers, and railway workers, took to the city streets across the country. The demonstrations were driven by widespread anger over years of underinvestment, understaffing, and delayed upgrades. Protesters demanded the resignation of key officials and called for safer public transport.

The government initially set up a special investigative committee, but critics, including the opposition Syriza party, questioned its independence. "This committee was appointed by the same establishment it is supposed to investigate," argued a Syriza spokesperson. EU regulators had also flagged Greece's lack of an independent investigating authority as a violation of the bloc's railway safety directive.

Investigations Prove Systemic Failures

In its 228-page report, the Greek Ministry of Transport identified multiple institutional failings. According to RAILTARGET, responsibility was distributed among OSE, its infrastructure subsidiary ERGOSE, the Railway Regulatory Authority (RSA), and Hellenic Train. Even individual station managers and deceased train drivers were partly blamed for not following standard operating procedures. The report called for sweeping reforms in staff movement, training, and oversight, and stressed the urgency of modernising Greece's 2,400-kilometre railway network by 2027.

From National Tragedy to European Wake-Up Call

As Greek Herald and AsiaOne noted, the crash has become emblematic of wider European concerns around ageing railway systems and fragmented safety enforcement. The European Commission continues to monitor Greece's compliance with EU safety regulations, as trust in public transport remains low.

Transport Minister George Gerapetritis stated last year that "no train will run unless we are sure we’ve ensured safety at the highest possible level." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mitsotakis vowed that the planned upgrades would not face further delays. If successfully implemented, Greece’s ETCS and real-time tracking plan could become a benchmark for rail reform across Europe, particularly in countries facing similar infrastructure and regulatory challenges.

Sources: Reuters; AsiaOne; The Greek Herald; Anewz.tv; RAILTARGET