Photo source: Hellenic Railways Organization
As Greece aims to modernize and enhance the safety of its railway infrastructure, the government has introduced a draft bill proposing significant reforms to the country’s railway system.
The legislation seeks to address longstanding challenges in railway safety through a comprehensive overhaul of operational practices, personnel evaluations, and organizational structures.
Submitted for public consultation by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, the bill outlines new safety mechanisms and stricter evaluation procedures designed to improve accountability and operational efficiency within the sector.
The draft includes a series of immediately applicable measures focused on organizational restructuring and safety upgrades.
According to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the bill’s key objectives are:
– Upgrading railway safety standards by improving quality control mechanisms and ensuring comprehensive and effective oversight of the entire rail network.
– Implementing thorough evaluations of personnel responsible for safety-critical duties within the railway sector.
– Providing operational and managerial flexibility to the newly established national rail operator, Hellenic Train S.A., facilitating the timely completion of safety projects and hiring of necessary safety-related staff.
Photo source: Hellenic Railways Organization
Additional supporting provisions aim to strengthen safety infrastructure and regulatory oversight:
– The establishment of a Unified Railway Supervision Center and the launch of a centralized digital platform – Railway.gov.gr – integrating key applications for monitoring and management.
– Enhanced training and evaluation procedures for railway staff, coupled with a stricter disciplinary framework that mandates testing before and after hiring to ensure personnel are capable of fulfilling safety-critical roles.
– Development of collaborations with the Armed Forces to assist in the suitability assessment of safety personnel, alongside the creation of a dedicated Special Railway Inspectors Unit.
The legislation also highlights institutional strengthening and modernization:
– Bolstering the Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS) and the National Transportation Safety Board for Aviation and Railway Accidents (EODASAAM), with measures to safeguard EODASAAM’s operational independence and resource management.
– Updating the structure, operations, and internal procedures of Hellenic Train S.A. to align with the new safety framework.
The public consultation period will remain open until Thursday, June 26, at 9am. Stakeholders and interested parties are encouraged to submit their feedback to improve the bill.
The full draft is accessible here.
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