State railways’ security systems outdated
It seems that Greece is trying to disprove the rule that train journeys are the safest way to travel. Since September 2006, there have been 15 derailments of trains belonging to the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE), and staff say the situation is worrying. A head-on collision last July outside Athens between a suburban rail train that had left the Nerantziotissa station and a cargo train coming from Piraeus resulted in the injury of 53 people. It initially appeared that the fault lay with the station masters for not warning the suburban train driver, who nevertheless reacted as soon as he became aware of the danger and took the necessary emergency measures by warning the passengers to move to the rear of the train. The movement of trains in Greece is still regulated by radio or even mobile telephone, so train safety is largely dependent on the human factor; the system is little changed since the 1950s. «Train safety should not depend on the human factor,» said Andreas Vassilopoulos, head of the Panhellenic Railways Federation. OSE staff say that each station master is in charge of at least 80 trains per shift, a workload that is considered excessive. The site of the accident mentioned above, within the city limits, is neither well-lit nor is it controlled by remote control. Modernization of the Piraeus-Treis Gefyres section of the line, which provided for a remote-controlled track (telecommanding) and lighting, was scheduled for the 2004 Olympics and has not yet been completed. In the summer of 2003, bids were invited and, after many long delays and complications, a system began operating in February 2006, but OSE officials say the work will not be finished for at least another year. An accumulated deficit, inability to make use of OSE’s massive property assets, repeated changes in the administration, the lack of coordination between companies that resulted from splitting the organization (with a separate company for infrastructure) and delays in carrying out major works are all problems that have plagued OSE and, even more, the state budget, at the same time endangering the safety of passengers who not only have to put up with delays and the cancellation of journeys but the risk of derailments. One of the greatest problems at OSE is the financial drain on its resources from uncontrolled borrowing. In 2006, OSE closed the financial year with a loss of 684 million euros, up from -596.17 million in 2005 and only -473 million in 2003. OSE’s loans mounted to 5 billion euros between 1998 and 2004. Every year, OSE pays up to 500 million euros in amortization, so its accumulated deficit keeps mounting and is now at around 5.2 billion euros. Since OSE’s annual revenues are barely 100 million euros, it is easy to see that any effort to improve the organization’s finances would take some time and would not be certain of success. Efforts by the previous management (which resigned earlier this summer) had focused on renegotiating the loan portfolio to extend repayment time from 20 to 25 years in order to reduce annual interest payments. However, repeated changes of management (three times since March 2004) have resulted in administrative chaos. Uncertainty also surrounds the fate of the OSE subsidiary TRAINOSE (Passenger & Freight Transportation Services), since it can no longer receive state subsidies because of the deregulation of the railway market. Three of OSE’s major projects have passed their completion deadline, heightening the risk of losing resources of up to 253 million euros. The signing of contracts for the construction of a new double track between Kiato, Aigion and Rododaphne began this year, with a completion date set for 2011. Another considerable delay is in the plan to introduce remote-controlled track on the Athens-Thessaloniki line, a project that was to be completed by the end of 2013, in order to reduce the journey time to three-and-a-half hours. Meanwhile, the construction of installations on the Thriasio Plain with a rail link to the port of Ikonio has also been also delayed. The state has so far obtained 103 million euros from the EU Cohesion Fund for this project out of a total -356 million, which Greece is likely to lose. The Transport and Economy ministries have their eye on the Fourth Community Support Framework for funding projects that should already have been finished, while time is running out for obtaining funds for new projects, such as the link’s western axis. There are also considerable delays in the maintenance of rolling stock, something that is to a great extent to blame for the large number of derailments and accidents on OSE’s track. Meanwhile, OSE staff say there is no willingness to maintain rolling stock, which, coupled with staff shortages, a lack of spare parts and central planning, means there is a general air of abandonment. Over the last nine months, there have been 15 derailments, but not a single report has been published regarding their causes, as is required by EU directives.
