Trial Begins in Greece’s Deadliest Train Crash as 36 Face Charges Over 57 Deaths

Proceedings Begin After Delay

The trial concerning Greece’s worst railway disaster—which killed 57 people when a freight train and passenger train collided on 28 February 2023 near Larissa—has commenced with 36 defendants facing criminal charges. According to The Guardian, the trial opened in a lecture hall at the University of Thessaly to accommodate the massive scale of the case, which involves more than 350 witnesses, 200 lawyers, and 60,000 pages of evidence expected to take several years to hear.

Defendants include station manager Vassilios Samaras, two other station managers who allegedly left their posts early, two Italian former employees of Ferrovie dello Stato, officials from the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), and two senior transport ministry officials, The Guardian reported. Thirty-three of the accused face prison sentences of up to life imprisonment if convicted; none are currently in prison, though some previously served pre-trial detention.

Courtroom Chaos and Access Restrictions

The trial’s resumption on Wednesday followed a postponement after chaotic scenes last week, according to the BBC. Relatives of victims complained of being excluded from proceedings, with bereaved mother Maria Karystianou—whose 19-year-old daughter Marthi died in the crash—describing relatives as "packed like sardines" and calling the conditions an "absolute disgrace," the BBC reported. Police officers occupied two rows of seats, further restricting access for family members.

Defence lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou appealed for the proceedings to be filmed to ensure transparency given the restricted access, according to the BBC. The relocation to the university conference hall—which The Guardian reported cost hundreds of thousands of euros to remodel—was necessitated by the number of participants, yet logistical failures persisted.

Systemic Failures and Destroyed Evidence

The disaster exposed what The Guardian described as the "parlous state" of Greece’s railway safety systems. The two trains traveled on the same track for more than 10 minutes without triggering an alarm system. European Public Prosecutor Laura Kövesi stated that the collision could have been avoided if signaling systems had been modernized using available EU funds, according to both sources.

Trade unions had repeatedly warned that a catastrophe was imminent due to inadequate safety infrastructure, The Guardian noted. Compounding concerns of accountability, evidence was destroyed when a bulldozer levelled the crash site within days of the collision, potentially removing crucial proof of negligence, both outlets reported.

Victims and Demands for Accountability

Most of the 57 victims were students returning from a carnival weekend. The BBC reported that some victims are believed to have burned to death after surviving the initial collision, and highlighted the stories of specific victims including 19-year-old Marthi and 20-year-old twins Thomi and Chrysa.

Pavlos Aslanidis, head of the Association of Victims’ Families whose 26-year-old son Dimitris died in the crash, demanded "exemplary punishment of those responsible" and criticized the trial’s delayed start, according to The Guardian. Many relatives refer to the disaster as the "Tempi crime," which the BBC noted encapsulates beliefs about negligence and corruption at the heart of the state. Tens of thousands protested nationwide last month to mark the disaster’s third anniversary, and train workers planned a 24-hour strike Monday as "an act of collective remembrance," The Guardian reported.

Political Accountability Questions

Despite investigations into two former government members, no political officials are currently on trial, both sources confirmed. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has apologized to victims’ families and asked for public patience, with his office describing the courtroom as "among the most functional and modern in Europe," according to the BBC. However, victims’ families continue to view the proceedings as a "state assassination" of their children, with Marthi’s father Dimitris asking, "in which European country could this be possible?" the BBC reported.