Two critical facts regarding the causes of the tragedy in Tempi, Mr. Christos Glavopoulos, Mechanical Engineer – electrical engineer, forensic expert speaking to ERT.

“First, that which does not arise from a document and which should arise is whether the station master Larisis was aware of the coming commercial train. It has not been made public whether he knew that he was actually sending the passenger train on the same line, this action cannot be rationally explained. Secondly watching his console he could have seen the approach process of the two trains going to collide. What technical experts should investigate is whether and the console itself actually shows. How can we draw a conclusion when we don’t know two key points? Firstly if it had been informed by document and secondly if the console actually shows what it is supposed to show.’

He also mentioned that the Railway Regulatory Authority must answer a series of questions as it controls and solves or does not solve problems of OSE, ERGOSE, TRAINOSE, Hellenic Train and any others involved in the country’s railway project. So it is the Rail Regulatory Authority that compiles the summary of the problems.

What will the “black boxes” of the trains show?

Mr. Glavopoulos also emphasized in the “black boxes” of the two trains containing the tachograph and in all probability also the various conversations that took place in the cockpit within its space and the contacts. As he explains: “The black box with the tachograph readings of the conversations is an electronic system which I hope was not destroyed by the explosion. The OSE in all the railway accidents we have been involved in under normal circumstances the investigating authority instructs the OSE, “take out the tachograph and tell us what it says”. In this particular case I would like the appointed experts to be present with the extraction of the tachograph, if possible, and also the investigation and study of the tachograph records to be done by independent experts and not by the OSE itself, so that ensure its integrity”.

Regarding pthe tens of meters high “mushroom”. who got up after the explosion said it shows that “There was definitely an ignition of the oils, which are there in pressure tanks and where whatever oil regulates the brake system. The brake system works with oil, which is constantly under pressure when the space or tank that has the oil explodes and the other systems are suddenly released, gas appears and catches fire.

“The chain of human errors must be found”

“As for the human error we are discussing, as the prime minister said and he said it very correctly, it is human error. The right of the prime minister is that he did not name who made the human error and this should be investigated. Everyone considers the human error to be the fault of the station master Larissa. Indeed, the last chain of human errors occurred with the handling of the station master. However, the chain of human error that led to the last error should be investigated if it is an error and if there is a written telegram that a commercial train is coming. When that’s resolved, we’ll start going to the next step.”