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Greek Rail Network Faces Herculean Restoration Task After Devastating Floods

Greek Rail Network Faces Herculean Restoration Task After Devastating Floods
photo: Vaggelis Kousioras/AP/Greek Rail Network Faces Herculean Restoration Task After Devastating Floods
20 / 09 / 2023

After the September floods wreaked havoc on Greece's railway system, the road to recovery appears steep and challenging. The Greek port of Piraeus, a pivotal node for the nation's freight transport, stands cut off from rail services. This isolation has already caused a significant backlog with countless containers amassing.

The Government’s topmost concern, as stated by the Deputy Infrastructure and Transport Minister, Nikos Tahiaos, is to get the freight trains running. Once a single track is revived for operations, priority will be given to freight trains, then to passenger services, with trains expected to run at speeds of up to 80 kph.

The magnitude of the damage inflicted on the railway infrastructure has been described as severe, demanding not just repairs but an extensive rebuild. While Nikos Tahiaos refrained from specifying the cost involved, current projections hover around the EUR 160 million mark, a number that might escalate as more damages become evident.

In response to the crisis, the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) has formulated a strategic plan. The primary aim is to make one of the two affected tracks operational, even if it means running single-track, diesel-driven trains at low speeds. Initially expected to take a month for recovery, recent evaluations suggest the process might extend up to two months. Funding for these efforts is expected to be drawn from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), earmarked for Greek investments.

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