A Petitions Committee delegation travelled to Athens and Larissa to examine the response to the 2023 Tempi train accident, meeting victims’ representatives, authorities and stakeholders.

The three-days fact-finding visit was conducted in response to petitioners’ concerns about longstanding shortcomings in railway safety, infrastructure and accountability.

During the visit, MEPs met the Association of Persons Affected by the Tempi Accident, national and local authorities, railway operators, trade unions and independent authorities responsible for railway safety and accident investigation. These included the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Mr Christos Dimas, the Alternate Minister, Mr Kotsiras, the Governor of Thessaly, Mr Kouretas, the leadership of Hellenic Railways and Hellenic Train, as well as the Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS) and the National Aviation and Railway Accidents Investigation and Transportation Safety Agency (HARSIA). The delegation also visited the Larissa railway traffic control centre and the Acharnes Railway Centre, accompanied by the leadership of the Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Vice-Chair Dolors Montserrat commented: “Firstly, I would like to stress that the European Parliament and the Committee on Petitions is not a judicial authority, it can neither pass judgement on, nor revoke decisions taken by the courts of law in Member States. The right to petition gives citizens a direct channel to the European Parliament, and it is our responsibility to listen carefully to and address the concerns brought before us. We will exercise our institutional responsibilities impartially, constructively, and in full respect of the competences of Member States and their institutions with the aim to ensure that such tragedies will not happen again.

The exchanges held in the past three days provided valuable insights into the progress made in improving railway safety since the accident. We took note of the results of a reform programme to address the structural weaknesses in railway governance, supervision, operational management and safety culture, as well as the implementation of the Action Plan drawn up in agreement with the Commission following the report of the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).

We confirmed the central role of transparent and well-managed EU funding in supporting these efforts, while also taking note of concerns regarding the pace of implementation, in particular the lack of full deployment of the ETCS system, and the need for further investment, which is important to regain public trust. We also took note of the steps taken by the independent authorities, RAS and HARSIA, whose role is critical in the prevention of railway accidents, to improve accountability and ensure the safety of railways in Greece.

At the same time, we acknowledged the serious concerns raised about the condition of the railway infrastructure at the time of the accident, as well as the management of the accident site in the immediate aftermath, which is now under judicial review by the Greek courts. We emphasised the need to support the victims’ families and ensure full cooperation with the competent judicial authorities, so that all relevant circumstances can be fully and independently examined and any responsibilities established through the appropriate judicial processes. We have full trust in the independence of the Greek judicial authorities and in their ability to carry out their responsibilities.”
 
Members of the delegation:

• Dolors Montserrat (EPP, ES) - Head of delegation
• Isilda Gomes (S&D, PT)
• Kosma Złotowski (ECR, PL)
• Ana Miranda Paz (Greens, ES)

 
Accompanying members:

• Manolis Kefalogiannis (EPP, EL)
• Yannis Maniatis (S&D, EL)
• Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR, EL)
• Nikos Pappas (The Left, EL)

 
Next steps

The information and findings collected during the mission will contribute to the preparation of a final report, including detailed observations and specific recommendations, which will be presented and voted on in the Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament.