An Intercity train traveling from Athens to Thessaloniki was forced to halt outside Larissa, central Greece, on Sunday afternoon due to a power outrage in the OSE rail network. Concerned passengers were left in the dark without proper information about what was going on.
The incident caused unrest among the passengers as the lights went out and nobody informed them what was going on.
According to state broadcaster ERT, after several hours of waiting, the crew informed passengers that the issue was caused by a problem with the power supply network of OSE.
“Suddenly just outside Larissa the train stopped. The power went out, the lights went out and we didn’t know what was going on. As I asked the crew, they said it was a power supply problem and we waited more than 30 minutes,” a passenger told Mega TV.
Passengers reported that there was no plan communicated to them about what to do next or how they would reach their destination.
“We didn’t know exactly what happened. We were told that the problem was in the OSE network and the crew themselves were quite worried. Will the doors open anywhere and we will get off, will a bus come to pick us up and take us to Larissa and from there to Thessaloniki? There was no plan for what to do,” the passenger added.
Eventually, the passengers arrived in Thessaloniki, but with a significant delay.
After the deadly train collision with 57 killed passengers outside Larissa on February 28, Greece reopened some passenger and freight rail routes.
However, despite the government reassurances about safety measures, it looks as if everybody in charge is now busy with the general elections on May 21, 2023, and nobody seems to care about maintaining infrastructure.
