Thousands protest in Athens after Greece’s deadly train collision

Clashes erupted briefly between police and a group of protesters in central Athens on Sunday on the sidelines of a protest by thousands of students and railway workers over Greece’s deadliest train crash in living memory.

A small group of protesters threw petrol bombs at police, who responded with tear gas and hand grenades, before dispersing into nearby streets.

At least 57 people were killed and dozens injured on Tuesday when a passenger train carrying more than 350 passengers collided with a freight train on the same line in central Greece.

After protests for the past three days across the country, around 10,000 students, railway workers and groups linked to leftist parties gathered in Athens’ main square on Sunday to show sympathy for the victims and demand better safety standards on the rail network.

“The crime will never be forgotten,” protesters chanted as they released black balloons into the sky. Placards read: “The policy is at the expense of human life.”

The train, traveling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki, was packed with university students returning after a long holiday weekend. The disaster caused a lot of anger, as well as a strong focus on safety standards.

The railway workers, who also lost a colleague in the accident, have staged a walkout since Wednesday to blame cost-cutting and lack of investment in rail infrastructure, a legacy of Greece’s debt crisis from 2010 to 2018.

The government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis blamed human error for the accident. However, Mitsotakis said on Sunday that human error should not deflect responsibility for the long-running railway network.

The PM promised a quick investigation

“As prime minister, I owe everyone, but most of all the relatives of the victims, an apology,” he wrote on Facebook. “The judiciary will very quickly investigate the tragedy and determine responsibility.”

A station master in the nearby town of Larissa who was on duty at the time of the accident was charged this week with endangering life and obstructing public transport.

The station master, who cannot be named under Greek law, appeared before a judge on Sunday after his lawyer asked for extra time on Saturday to respond to the allegations following new information about the case. The process is underway.

Rail unions say safety systems across the rail network have been lacking for years because remote monitoring and signaling systems have not been delivered on time. He asked the government to provide a timetable for the implementation of security protocols.

Mitsotakis said on Sunday that if there was a remote system throughout the rail network “it would, in practice, be impossible for such an accident to occur.”

Greece will soon announce action, he said, adding that Athens would seek expertise from the European Commission and other countries on improving rail safety.