One more hazardous tragedy has been averted when a commuter train, suburban Proastiakos was mistakenly directed to the track of the Metro Line 3 in northern Athens.
The train had to drive backward around 300 meters to return to its proper position.
The serious breach of safety was revealed on Thursday by daily Efimerida ton Syntakton (efsyn.gr) that based its report on the Union of Train Drivers (PEPE).
According to efsyn.gr, “the suburban train Proastiakos was ordered on Wednesday, October 9, in Dukissis Placentias, to enter the wrong track and thus in a metro tunnel. The train driver realized the mistake and tried in vain, as the report shows, to contact the station master.
The driver slowed down and moved slowly so that the remote control would notice the mistake and the worst could be avoided. The driver was forced to drive backward for about 300 meters to get out of the tunnel, in which he would have been wedged had he not realized the disastrous mistake in time…”
The incident was kept secret by both the OSE and the Hellenic Train, until October 17, when the newspaper came out with the issue on its front page.
Now, the error is being attributed to a stationmaster at the central Acharnes Railway Center and the train driver who appears to have ignored two warning signals. Both have been suspended from duty, media reported.
“The stationmaster gave the order, while the commuter train driver violated 2 traffic lights” the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) has reportedly said in a statement.
“In no case was there the slightest danger for the passengers of both the suburban train and those of the Metro. The train in question moved on a signal-marked (i.e. safe route), but which did not have accreditation for use in terms of Metro trains,” the statement added noting that “the movement of both the said train and the rest is done by signalling, remote control that have been operating normally since 2004.”
The Hellenic Train, which operates Greece’s trains including Proastiakos said that it has activated disciplinary procedures.
The safety incident and especially the publication of daily efsyn prompted an urgent judicial investigation by the Athens’ chief prosecutor on Thursday who seeks answers as to why a Suburban Railway (Proastiakos) was routed onto a metro track.
The incident is another one on the long list of safety incidents on Greece’s national and suburban railway network since the tragedy in Tempi where 57 people were killed in a two trains collision on February 28, 2023.
