Accident in Tempi: RAS blames errors and omissions on the station master and train drivers

2023-06-09 06:48:11

Gaps in the training of station masters, mistakes and omissions on the part of the fatal Larissa station master and the drivers of the Intercity 62 passenger train, as well as violations of the provisions of the railway legislation, the Railway Safety and Interoperability Unit of RAS finds in its conclusion for the tragic accident in Tempi, with the Authority having already invited OSE and Hellenic Train to a hearing. These findings are consistent with the findings of the expert panel’s report, which also documented the errors and omissions of the agencies directly involved.

In particular, as part of the ex officio investigation by RAS, as far as OSE is concerned, violations were found regarding the training process for station masters, as well as the actions of the fatal station master on the evening of February 28, which – among other things – led to the fatal accident . Initially, the conclusion states that no relevant certificate of successful attendance of the training program was provided for the station master of the Larissa railway station, while the training services of the station master in question are not certified. At the same time, RAS finds, among other things, that proper and comprehensive basic training of the traffic branch staff has not been documented, “since from the analysis of the data it cannot be safely concluded that the station master in question completed the prescribed second cycle of theoretical training ( 177 hours)’. Also, no evidence was clearly provided to show the signed attendance sheets of the trainees during the first cycle of theoretical training in the Thessaloniki program for specific dates in August, September and October 2022. At the same time, the fatal Larissa station master did not assigned to the responsible locksmith the route that passenger train IC 62 (Athens – Thessaloniki) had to follow when leaving S.S. Larissa and did not ascertain whether the track changes through which the passenger train passed had been arranged. As far as the Hellenic Train is concerned, violations of the general traffic regulation are found, because the unfortunate drivers of the Intercity 62 passenger train only realized that the train in question followed a different course than that which corresponded to the train’s route, i.e. that it was moving on the descent line instead of of the ascending line, they did not immediately park the train in consultation with the station master (S.S. Larry-sas) or the central operator.