By Yannis Anifantis

The importance of the role of the “fatal” station master in the train accident in Tempi was underlined, among others, by the Minister of Economy, Kostis Hatzidakiss, by submitting to the competent investigative committee of the Parliament.

The former Minister of Transport during the periods 2007-2009 and 2012-2013, assessed that the issue of the accident must be dealt with in its “totality”, arguing that no conclusion will be reached if the discussion is focused only around remote control or personnel , however, made special reference to the decisive role of the human factor, saying that “if one listens to the dialogues with the station master, one understands”. “We cannot accept that without remote control in general, trains can never run. We cannot exonerate the behavior of employees who prove to be irresponsible”, he pointed out.

However, to questions from the opposition about the conditions he faced on the Greek railway in 2008, he argued that the OSE “was the most problematic organization not only of Greece but also of the whole of Europe”, adding that when he took over as minister “for every euro that OSE earned, it spent 9.5”. Taking the Messinia railway line as an example, he argued that its monthly income in 2008 was only 125 euros, when the train drivers’ salaries were 20,000 euros, “an amount that was enough for the passengers to go to their destination not by taxi, but by limousine”, as he pointed out.

Mr. Hatzidakis he described the consolidation plan that he had drawn up himself, focusing on security, transparency, consolidation and development of the OSE, which, however, as he claimed, was stopped by the minister of the PASOK government, Mr. Reppas, adding that today many sections however the OSE is still “multi-trauma”.