The work stoppage on line 1 of the METRO (formerly electric) scheduled for today has been suspended. The stations that were closed in the early hours of the morning will soon be opened.

In their announcement, the employees state:

“There are no words to describe such a tragedy. Today we mourn our fellow citizens who were lost in the train accident in Tempi because some people ignored the calls of the workers. When the workers talk about the lack of staff, about the obsolescence of the facilities and infrastructure, about the insufficient maintenance of the rolling stock, about the delinquency along the entire length of the network, some officials blew the whistle indifferently. Tragedies of this magnitude are mathematically certain to happen if someone does not seriously deal with staffing and infrastructure. The railway is not the shining granites, the floodlights and cameras of the channels running to show all those who are responsible for this tragic event.

The railroad is all that’s behind that Hollywood-level glitz, all that’s invisible to the camera lenses. Today for shame alone, we should have seen the resignations of all these “luminaries” who believe that the railway can operate on autopilot.

Today the political leadership of the Ministry of Transport should have resigned en masse. With deep sadness in our hearts for today’s tragic accident, perhaps the biggest in the history of the Greek railway, as a sign of mourning for the national tragedy we are suspending our mobilization today. Everyone’s hearts today beat there in Tempe. We do not forget our problems and we will come back to them. Condolences to the families of the victims.”