Greece’s rail system consistently ranks among the continent’s most dangerous despite receiving $700 million in modernization money from the European Union over the past decade. And the installation of the new safety system became so bogged down that a senior government official quit last year to protest what he called “unjustifiable delays.”
The European Union expects its 27 member countries to put in place sophisticated new procedures known as the European Train Control System by the end of the decade. That system monitors trains and takes control when they go too fast, blow through red lights or end up on the wrong tracks. The European Union wants to expand cross-border train travel, and harmonizing safety standards across the bloc is part of that strategy.
But putting it into effect has been inconsistent, as evidenced by this week’s crash.
“If the European Train Control System would have been installed and working properly, it should have absolutely prevented something like this from happening,” said Jedde Hollewijn, the railways policy officer for the European Transport Workers’ Federation. “The intention is that all European countries implement this, and we know that Greece has been lagging significantly.”
Luxembourg, the bloc’s smallest and richest country, is already using the new system across its rails. Belgium plans to be fully operational by 2025. Others have upgraded their major routes. But even without the new technology, most rail systems have safety features to prevent head-on collisions. The French National Railway Safety Authority, for example, uses automatic braking systems and other technology.
“We put together an action plan and asked Greek authorities to report back on the action plan,” he said. “But our powers are limited.”
He suggested that the European Commission, the bloc’s administrative arm, could take legal action against Greece for failing to maintain safety standards. On Thursday, though, European officials struck a collaborative tone. Adalbert Jahnz, a spokesman for the commission, said the bloc had financially supported Greece and remained in close contact with the authorities there.
The Greek authorities, however, have not been transparent about important railway details. Two weeks before the crash, European officials took Greece to court over its refusal to make public the key contract spelling out how the railway will be managed as it modernizes.
At a news conference on Thursday, the Greek state minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, apologized to the families of the crash victims and promised a thorough investigation. He also vowed to modernize railway infrastructure to “restore the safety of rail travel and boost a sense of security in the psychology of citizens.”
The search operation is expected to conclude early Friday afternoon.
Mr. Doppelbauer said he hoped the tragedy would force improvements on other rail systems across Europe. “Such a catastrophic accident is always a reminder of how important safety is,” he said. “And a reminder for everyone to take the warnings seriously.”
