Athens reaches out to French state rail operator for know-how, in wake of Tempi disaster

An agreement envisioning the transfer of know-how in the railroads sector was signed on Monday between Greek Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis and French Minister of Transport Clément Beaune.

Gerapetritis holds the transports portfolio after his predecessor, Costas A. Karamanlis, resigned in the wake of the deadly Tempi train collision on Feb. 28.

The agreement is essentially a precursor for close cooperation between France’s Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) and the state-run Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), Greece’s lackluster national company which owns, maintains and operates rail infrastructure in the country.

Referring to the unprecedented rail disaster at the north-central Tempi, Gerapetritis said the Greek government will continue a thorough investigation into the causes and circumstances of the collision.

A FS-operated Hellenic Train passenger train collided with a freight train, also privately operated, on the specific evening, resulting in the death of at least 57 people.

Initial reports and results of a probe point to human error by the sole OSE train director on duty at the Larissa station just before midnight on Feb. 28, with the latter believed to have shifted one train onto the tracks of the other.