In Greece, the gradual restoration of rail service, which has been suspended since March 1 due to a tragedy that claimed 57 lives, started on Wednesday.

A passenger railway and a freight train collided head-on between Athens and Thessaloniki in Tempi, close to the city of Larissa, on the night of February 28 to March 1. There were 57 fatalities, mainly students. Following the accident, rail travel was suspended.

Head of the Larissa station was arrested. According to media reports, he pleaded guilty and said that he had mistakenly sent the passenger train on the same track as the freight train. The station master reportedly had no experience with railroad traffic control.

Railroad workers say there are chronic safety problems that authorities have been neglected for years. Remote traffic control, traffic lights did not work, and there were communication problems. Authorities admit that if the safety systems had been working properly, the disaster would not have happened.

source: apnews.com