Staikouras: Remote control and signaling systems are currently operational on 80% of the Athens-Thessaloniki

During a presentation in Parliament on the progress of railway safety system installations, Christos Staikouras noted that remote control and signaling are currently functioning on 80% of the network due to the destruction caused by Storm Daniel.

Responding to a parliamentary question from Alexandros Kazamias (Plefsi Eleftherias), the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport stated that in 2019, signaling was operational on only 31% of the Athens-Thessaloniki network. By September 2023, it had reached full functionality at 100%, only to drop to 80% after the floods caused by Daniel.

Similarly, the remote control system was inherited in 2019 with just 1% functionality on the Athens-Thessaloniki route. By August 2023, it had improved to 31%, and by September 2023, installation was completed, bringing it up to 100% operational status. After Storm Daniel, this has now fallen to 80%.

As for the ETCS (European Train Control System) in the trackside section, in 2019, it was at 43% completion but was not certified, meaning that for the EU, it was effectively at zero. By February 2023, it had reached 54%, and by September 2023, it had risen to 81%.

For the onboard ETCS system, in 2019, 140 units were installed on 93 trains, but the system was not functional due to a lack of maintenance contracts, leading to deterioration. “There was no approval, no testing, and no fully operational signaling system like we have today,” Staikouras stated. By February 2023, 149 units were operational on 92 trains, and by September 2025, all units are expected to be restored to fully functional trains.

Staikouras highlighted that, while in Europe only 14% of the total railway network has ETCS, in Greece, the percentage stands at 26%, largely due to the presence of a signaling system. “Compared to 2023 and 2019, we are now in a better position. We have a complete and functional signaling system—a necessary requirement for ETCS—along the Athens-Thessaloniki corridor, except for the section destroyed by Daniel,” he explained.

The Minister stressed that the government’s top priority is maximum passenger safety, pointing out that Greece applies stricter safety standards than the EU. “I’m not here to sugarcoat things. Not all the problems accumulated over past decades have been solved. More work is needed. However, based on the detailed data I have provided, we are moving responsibly in the right direction, achieving better and better results,” he concluded.

Source: pagenews.gr