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Minister Denounces Sabotage Attempt on Railway as Attempt to Recreate Tempi Tragedy

Published February 26, 2026, 12:09
Minister Denounces Sabotage Attempt on Railway as Attempt to Recreate Tempi Tragedy

Deputy Minister of Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis, described the sabotage incident on the Athens-Thessaloniki railway axis, near Katerini, as “shocking,” stating that some were trying to cause a new tragedy like Tempi. According to the minister, perpetrators cut remote control cables that had been protected with concrete, causing damage to the system. Mr. Kyranakis stressed that the incident was not a simple theft, but a targeted act aimed at causing deaths a few days before the anniversary of Tempi. He emphasized that the railway's safety system is much more advanced than in the past, with precise train location and automatic alarm activation in case of rule violations. The minister stated that remote control has reached 80% and will be extended to the entire network by the summer, while by the end of March all trainsets will be registered on the railway.gov.gr platform and by the end of April all trains, including suburban trains, will be monitored. He noted that the new safety system, unlike the past, provides accuracy of less than 5 centimeters in train location and immediately activates alarms in case of danger, while the OSE control center has employees dedicated to preventing new collisions.