The OSE is proceeding with the immediate adoption of additional measures to strengthen the safety of railway transport.

According to a statement from the Organization’s administration, on the one hand, on the occasion of the collision, in Sfendali, of a train with a tree that had leaned on the railway tracks and on the power cables, resulting in damage to the driver’s cabin and the interruption of traffic, on the other hand and the public debate that followed, creating -reasonably- concern in public opinion, decided to speed up the taking of immediate measures that it has already planned with the aim of both preventing similar incidents in the future and generally enhancing the safety of passengers and vehicles.

More specifically, the president of OSE, Mr. Yannos Grammatidmade the following announcement: “In collaboration with the managing director of the OSE, Mr. Panagiotis Terezakis, we are today speeding up the establishment of a new Department of Greenery & Environment in the Organization, which will be tasked with the planning, procedures and implementation of the clean-up projects of the natural vegetation and the cutting of trees along the entire railway network of the country. Additionally, the new Directorate will also be responsible for the overall reduction of the Organization’s environmental footprint.

It is noted that until today the work of cleaning and cutting trees belonged to the competence of the Line Management. Consequently, with this decision we achieve autonomy with the aim of enhancing efficiency and increasing the speed of response.

The new Directorate, which will report directly to the CEO, will consist of two Services, the Green Service and the Environment Service, which will be headed by an agronomist and an environmentalist respectively. A related proposal will be submitted for approval at the next meeting of the OSE Board of Directors, next Thursday, September 19, 2024.”

Mr. Grammatidis also added that “the Organization has planned and will already propose the institution of an independent and overriding right of the OSE to cut trees both within the expropriated railway corridors on both sides of the tracks and outside them, i.e. also in lands regardless of public or private use or forest restrictions and always along its active, suspended and abolished network for reasons of not obstructing public transport, safety of the traveling public, avoiding fires and pollution of the environment”.

“In this way, the Organization accelerates the taking of these measures for the more rational management of respective issues, bypassing labyrinthine responsibilities that only cause delays and, finally, for the protection of the public interest” concluded Mr. Grammatidis.