Errors, delays and omissions are recorded in the multi-page conclusion of the Transparency Authority for contract 717 for the restoration of the signaling – remote control system on the axis Athens – Thessaloniki – Promahona.

In the voluminous file, 185 pages, on the tragedy in Tempe was added the multi-page conclusion of the inspectors of the Transparency authority on the deficiencies and problems in the railway network, as well as the course of the disputed contract 717.

According to ERT, the report was drawn up by two auditors of the National Transparency Authority and the final conclusion was drawn up on September 27, 2021.

The subject of the audit was the examination of the implementation of project contract 717 entitled: “Reconstruction and upgrade of the Signaling-Remote Control System and Replacement of 70 track changes on the Athens-Thessaloniki-Promahonas Axis”

The contract was signed on 9/26/2014 and stipulated:

-completion within 2 years -24 months-, until September 26, 2016.
-7 departmental deadlines, as intermediate control stations of the progress of the project. Here are also 8 extensions for the final delivery date and for departmental deadlines.

Inspectors conclusion:

– The head of the project management and the supervising engineers did not ensure the timely resubmission by the contractor of individual studies and their timely approval.

-They failed to meet the mandatory deadline for approving these studies

– They did not ensure the implementation of the Signaling System with relays.

-No further actions were taken against the Contractor for delaying the implementation of the original schedule.

For remote management Athens – Larissa – Thessaloniki

For the remote control of Athens and Larissa, they conclude that “errors in the tender led to the obligation to replace obsolete and unsafe remote control and signaling equipment, in order to restore the interconnection and compatibility of the new electronic equipment with the existing one”.

Finally, the Board of Directors of ERGOSE SA should demonstrate, as stated in the report, the required diligence in the on-time implementation of the project procedures on the one hand to ensure funding and on the other hand to avoid causing further delays in their completion.

Apologies begin on Monday

With the contracted station master, the apologies of the three defendants, the two station masters and the OSE inspector, who had been given a deadline to appear before the special appellate investigator for the train tragedy in Tempi, will begin tomorrow, Monday.

Specifically, tomorrow, Monday, March 27, the contracted stationmaster of Larissa will pass the door of the Special Appellate Investigator to apologize. According to what has become known, he will claim that his shift ended at 10pm and he himself left at 10:15.

On Tuesday, March 28, the oldest station master, a permanent employee of the OSE, will apologize. This is the man whose shift ended at 11pm but allegedly left earlier.

He will claim that even if he was there until 11, he could not have done anything to prevent the tragedy, as train 62 arrived at Larissa station at 11.02 in the evening.

Finally, on Thursday, March 30, the inspector of the OSE will also be brought before the investigator, whose apology will be made with an 80-page memorandum. The inspector is expected to make the allegation that he had requested that there be two people on the shift until 11