Greece train disaster exposes rail network neglect

While investigators are still piecing together events leading up to the accident last Tuesday, the government says initial indicationsThe duty station master in the nearby city of Larissa has been charged with several offences and jailed pending trial. His lawyer said he accepted responsibility"proportionate to him", but that other factors were also at play.

"That section has been a black hole," said a railway source close to the matter, referring to the stretch of track near Larissa. Oikonomou said the crash took place at a section where remote surveillance and signalling systems had not yet been set up. Systems that could have prevented such a crash have been installed on 70 per cent of the Athens-Thessaloniki line, he said.OSE did have remote surveillance in place from 2007 until 2010 at the section where the accident happened, Yiannis Kollatos, a former station master with the company who set up and operated the technology in Larissa, told Reuters.

In 2014, OSE ordered a revamp of the remote traffic control and signalling system that was due to be completed in 2016. But nearly a decade later, the equipment has not been installed throughout the 2,500km rail network. ERGOSE has also been in charge of installing a European Train Control System on rail tracks and on the trains, the EU-wide benchmark allowing for constant supervision of a moving trains and emergency braking. Such a system is used in other European countries including France, Germany and Belgium.

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Greek station master detained pending trial over train crash: LawyerATHENS - The station master at Greece’s Larissa railway station was detained pending trial on Sunday, his lawyer said, on charges related to the country’s deadliest train crash on record. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

Greek railway workers extend strike over train crashATHENS: Greek rail workers went on strike for a sixth day on Monday (Mar 6) to protest over safety conditions following a train crash last week that killed 57 people. The busy rail route that con
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Police, protesters clash at rail disaster rally in AthensPolice said 12,000 people had gathered to demand accountability for the accident. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

More protests over Greek rail disaster as first victims buriedA court appearance for the station master implicated in the disaster was postponed to Sunday. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Source: STForeignDesk - 🏆 4. / 71 Read more »

Taiwan Feb exports seen down 14%, inflation to easeTAIPEI : Taiwan's exports likely dropped 14 per cent in February, according to the median forecast of 21 analysts polled by Reuters, smaller than the 21.2 per cent annual slide in January.The export forecasts varied widely, ranging from a 25.4 per cent contraction and an 11.7 per cent jump. The var
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

China Jan-Feb trade likely contracted again as global economy slowed - Reuters pollBEIJING : China likely again exported and imported less in January-February than a year earlier, backing policymakers' fears that a slowing global economy could drag on growth at home, a Reuters poll showed on Monday.Data for the period January-February are expected to show a 9.4 per cent fall in exports
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »