Greece restarting its railways starting March 22 in phases

Greek railways will gradually resume services starting from March 22 following the worst train accident in the country’s history.

Rail services were stopped after the Feb. 28 train crash that killed 57 people, with the government pledging to reopen the network once it was possible to introduce extra safety measures.

The key line between the capital Athens and the second-largest city of Thessaloniki will begin operating again on April 1, Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis said Tuesday. A stretch of that line in the Tempe valley of central Greece was the site of the collision between a passenger and a freight train. 

Citizens took to the streets last week in the biggest protest in a decade, demanding that the government gets to the bottom of the accident and ensures further lives won’t be lost.  

A new broad strike is scheduled for March 16, with workers from various professions expected to walk off their jobs, including those in airports. Some flights have already been cancelled. 

Two polls since the accident hint at a possible dent in Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s support among voters amid questions over the state’s ability to run and upgrade the rail network. Support for main opposition parties also fell.

The rail network will be fully inspected before the first trains depart while extra security measures will be implemented before the completion of upgrade projects — such as reducing speed on some sections of track and increasing the number of workers on suburban and intercity trains.

Resuming rail services is important to regain public confidence and transfer goods to neighboring countries, Gerapetritis said.