Greece has ordered Hellenic Train, the Italian-owned national rail operator, to invest €420 million in new trains and maintenance infrastructure to improve safety standards nearly three years after the country’s worst rail disaster.
The requirements are part of amendments to a 2017 state contract approved by parliament on Thursday, the Transport Ministry said. For the first time, the contract includes a break clause allowing the state to terminate the deal if trains are not delivered and operational by 2027, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The move follows the February 2023 collision near Larissa between a passenger and freight train that killed 57 people, mostly students, and exposed significant safety shortcomings within the rail network.
Part of the spending — €308 million — will fund new electric trains from Alstom, which will be equipped with remote communication and braking systems. Another €100 million will go toward maintenance facilities and digital systems.
A judicial probe into the disaster is ongoing, with the trial expected to start in March. Hellenic Train says it is cooperating fully with the investigation.