Greece railway safety reforms have entered public consultation, following the devastating Tempi train collision that exposed serious flaws in the system.
The new draft bill, unveiled by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, proposes a radical overhaul of how the national railway operates, with digital oversight, stricter evaluations, and structural reform at its core.
The draft bill has been put to public consultation by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis.
The proposed legislation introduces sweeping changes to the operation of Greece’s railway system, including strict safety protocols for train movement, comprehensive evaluation measures for railway personnel, and a reorganisation of railway institutions to strengthen accountability.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the bill’s objectives include:
- Upgrading the overall safety of the rail network, improving operational quality controls, and ensuring the effective supervision of all railway infrastructure
- Implementing a robust evaluation process for personnel in safety-critical roles
- Granting flexibility to a newly structured national railway entity, named Hellenic Railways S.A., to ensure the effective completion of safety upgrades and relevant staffing
Key proposals in the bill:
1. New safety structures
- Establishment of a Unified Railway Supervision Centre
- Development of a central digital platform, Railway.gov.gr, including:
- A Digital Register of Railway Data
- A Precision Train Geolocation System
- An Incident and Violation Logging App
2. Training and evaluation
- Mandatory competency testing before and after hiring for critical roles
- Collaboration with the Armed Forces to assess personnel suitability
- Introduction of a Train Chief role on all services
- Creation of a Railway Inspectorate Unit
- Tighter enforcement of the General Railway Movement Regulation
- Expanded access to training infrastructure for railway companies
- Broader certification rights for maintenance organisations
3. Institutional support
- Structural strengthening of the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) and the National Accident and Safety Investigation Organisation (EODASAAM)
- Acceleration of staffing procedures for both agencies
- Legal reinforcement of EODASAAM’s independence and financial autonomy
- Modernisation of Hellenic Railways S.A.’s internal structure and governance
The legislative proposal is built around three key pillars:
- New railway safety infrastructure
- Personnel training and disciplinary reforms
- Organisational upgrades and agency staffing acceleration
Public consultation will remain open until Thursday 26 June 2025 at 09:00. The Ministry invites all stakeholders and interested parties to submit feedback and recommendations to improve the draft legislation.
Also read: Tempi case file to be forwarded to Greek Parliament
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