A new era of safety has begun for Greek railways, as the first Intercity service on the Athens–Thessaloniki corridor was completed on Wednesday afternoon with 100% operational signaling and remote control systems active along the entire route. The milestone was announced by New Democracy Secretary General and former Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis, marking the completion of a critical infrastructure project that fully shields the network and eliminates the possibility of human error.
Read also: Kotsiras: Further modernization of the national rail network remains our top priority
“This is the first time this has happened in the railway history of our country. It is a significant safety upgrade — and it is also the first time that such a large public works project has been completed on time, on schedule, without a single extension being granted,” Kyranakis wrote in his post, recalling that he had publicly committed to completing the project by the end of summer 2026. “We worked day and night to meet the tightest schedule ever signed in the history of railway projects. I was not afraid to commit publicly, again and again, to meeting the end-of-summer 2026 deadline.” He noted that they pushed for visible progress every week and supervised the works with unprecedented attention to detail to ensure there would be no delays.
Kyranakis also addressed the promise he made to the parents who lost their children in the Tempi train disaster: “I fought day and night to keep it. I know it does not bring back their loved ones. I know that nothing eases the pain. Those we spoke with during all these months — away from any publicity — know what I have done, and that is enough for me. I can state with full awareness of my words: as long as the systems currently in place remain operational, trains cannot collide again on the Greek railway network,” he emphasized.
He also invited the public to explore the safety safeguards of the new system at railway.gov.gr — a platform accessible to every citizen via their mobile phone — which ensures that in the event of human error, the OSE control center automatically receives alerts for any traffic rule violation. “I hope the new trains that have begun to be delivered will fill the lines with services, and that Greek society will once again place its trust in the railway. We are moving forward,” he concluded.
