OSE looks into track sabotage
Officials of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) yesterday were probing the latest attempt to sabotage the national railway network, this time on the section of track between Oinoi and Thebes, north of Athens. According to OSE, the electricity lines powering that section of track had been severed in the early morning hours but were discovered and repaired by 8.30 a.m. Sources told Kathimerini that similar attempts at sabotage occur virtually every 10 days and have caused thousands of euros in damage. The thieves melt down and sell the copper and fiberoptic cable, they say. Transport and Communications Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said regular preventive inspections have «averted many unfortunate incidents.» In March, the removal of sections of track near Thessaloniki and Kalamata sparked similar probes. In the Kalamata case, the discovery was made after an anonymous caller demanded 1.5 million euros from the local stationmaster.
