FILE - A crane, firefighters and rescuers operate after a collision, that killed 57 people, in Tempe, about 376 kilometres (235 miles) north of Athens, near Larissa city, Greece, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Vaggelis Kousioras, File)
February 27, 2025 - 3:04 AM
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A long-awaited investigation into Greece’s deadliest train crash released Thursday blamed human error, outdated infrastructure, and major systemic failures for the head-on collision that killed 57 people two years ago.
The 178-page report was issued on the eve of a general strike and mass protests planned for the anniversary of the Feb. 28, 2023 crash, fueled by public anger over the slow pace of a separate judicial inquiry.
The independent investigative committee found that routing mistake by a station master sent a passenger train onto the same track as an oncoming freight train.
Investigators also highlighted poor training, staff shortages and a deteriorating railway system that lacked automated safety controls, noting a chronic lack of public investment during the 2010-18 financial crisis.
The findings were published by the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority.
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