The trial for the fatal train collision in Tempi is scheduled to begin on March 23, 2026. A total of 36 individuals are facing charges over the country’s deadliest rail disaster that claimed the lives of 57 people on February 28, 2023.
The list of defendants includes railway officials, company executives and public sector figures. The case had originally involved 43 individuals, but the number was reduced after a separate file was opened concerning the alleged tampering of the accident scene. That file, which involves seven defendants, is being handled separately and includes an investigation into former deputy minister Christos Triantopoulos for breach of duty.
The primary defendant is the 60-year-old stationmaster at Larissa station, who on the night of February 28, 2023, directed a passenger train onto the wrong track, leading to a head-on collision with a freight train. Also facing charges are two fellow stationmasters accused of leaving their shift early, as well as the head of the Larissa inspection department of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE).
Eleven OSE executives and department heads are charged over the absence of safety systems, with some also implicated in the stationmaster’s transfer. Another 16 executives from ERGOSE, OSE’s maintenance and construction company, including former chairmen and CEOs, will stand trial for failing to complete a contract to install a remote management system. This portion of the case also includes a financial investigation being handled by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The CEO and technical director of rail operator Hellenic Train are also among those indicted, along with the transport director general of the infrastructure ministry, the head of the ministry’s railway transport directorate, and the president of the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS), all facing charges for alleged omissions in licensing and supervision of the railway network.
Of the 36 defendants, 33 face the felony charge of dangerous interference with fixed-track transportation with possible intent – an offense that resulted in the deaths of 57 people, injuries to dozens more, and widespread damage. The charge carries a potential life sentence.
Those 33 are also charged with the misdemeanors of serial negligent homicide, grievous bodily harm, and simple bodily harm. Two Hellenic Train executives face only misdemeanors, while a member of the three-member OSE transfer committee is charged solely with breach of duty, a misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison.
If convicted of the combined misdemeanors, defendants could face up to eight years in prison.
Around 250 lawyers are expected to participate in the trial, both in defense and in support of the prosecution. The number of witnesses is projected to reach a similar figure, with 150 already examined during the investigative phase by appeals judge Sotiris Bakaimis. Additional witness lists are expected to be submitted by the defendants and by relatives of the victims.
The Justice Ministry has arranged for the trial to take place at the Gaiopolis conference center of the University of Thessaly, a venue adapted to meet the needs of a large-scale legal proceeding. The space includes areas for journalists and audience seating with video screens. Security measures will include three checkpoints, protective fencing and a perimeter secured with barbed wire.
It is estimated that the trial could last 3 years, at least.
(kathimerini, others)
