After Greek rail disaster, trains gradually restart

Train services resumed Wednesday in Greece for the first time since a deadly rail disaster three weeks ago, as the country's centre-right government struggles to regain its footing ahead of a general election.

The February 28 head-on collision, the deadliest in the country's history, killed 57 people and left dozens injured, with nine still hospitalised.

National and suburban train services restarted only along limited sections of the rail network, with additional train and station staff and compulsory speed reduction points at areas where the potential for a collision is considered higher.

The first train of the day was the 04:45 a.m. service from Athens to Inoi, 60 kilometres (37 miles) to the north. The suburban rail service from Athens to its international airport was also restored.

Full services will resume on April 11, including railway transportation between Athens and Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki.

The deadly collision between a passenger train on the Athens-Thessaloniki route and an oncoming freight carrier highlighted long-standing problems with systems to monitor network safety.

In the wake of the crash, the government has seen its lead in opinion polls roughly halved to as little as three points over its main left-wing rival, weeks before elections.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis late Tuesday said he would hold elections in May, a month later than initially expected, but did not give an exact date.

“It was a tragedy that should never have happened. It is inconceivable to think that in Greece in 2023 there could be two trains on the same track, travelling in opposite directions, and that no one realised it,” Mitsotakis said in an interview with private Alpha television.

“I believe people, while feeling anger and rage, understand that this accident resulted from the sum of mistakes made over many decades. We now have an obligation now to deal with them drastically ... We feel a heavy responsibility.”

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