The routing of targeted actions in finding definitive solutions to the issue of crossing the railway network through the urban fabric of Larissa, he asks me letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis the mayor of Larissa Apostolos Kalogiannis.

In his letter, the mayor of Larissa, after mentioning that Larissa stands mute and mourns the losses of the Tempe tragedy, adds that “the city has paid, over the years, a heavy blood tax on the railway lines and underlines that “the constant request of all the municipal authorities (…) unfortunately did not find an ear, neither among the OSE administrations from time to time, nor unfortunately among the employees Ministers of Transport.”

He underlines that in March 2019 it was announced by the then Minister of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, among other things, the immediate preparation of a special feasibility study for the investigation of alternative scenarios with the aim of better serving Larissa, while in 2021 a meeting of technical levels of the OSE and the Municipality of Larissa was held, in the presence of political staff of the two bodies, where it was decided to co-finance the study of feasibility – viability of the alternative solutions required, but nothing has been done so far.

The mayor of Larissa calls the prime minister in the context of the measures and interventions that will be launched for the safety of rail transport in the country, to personally undertake the task of finding a solution to the issue of crossing the railway lines. Finally, Mr. Kalogiannis describes the next moves of the municipal authority, which includes an open consultation process with citizens and representatives of the city’s agencies next Wednesday (via the internet) and then a discussion at the Municipal Council.

In detail, in his letter the mayor of Larissa states the following:

“Dear Prime Minister

Larissa stands mute and mourns, as the whole of Greece mourns after the tragic train accident of February 28. However, Mr. Prime Minister, our city has mourned many times in the past for similar issues, albeit on a smaller scale, since it is a city of two hundred thousand inhabitants, which is crossed by the main Athens-Thessaloniki railway line, “cutting” it literally “in two” ».

The passage of the railway lines through the urban fabric of the city, became the occasion in the recent past for our fellow human beings to lose their lives, both at the unguarded, but also at the poorly guarded railway crossings, as well as at other points of the lines. The logic of the development of the 60s that “wanted” the railway lines in the center of the cities, has nowadays turned into a real scourge forcing Larissa to pay a heavy blood tax.

In all these years, the constant request of all the municipal authorities, but also the intensity with which our own municipal authority raised it, unfortunately did not find listening ears, neither among the administrations of the OSE from time to time, nor unfortunately among the serving Ministers of Transport. I specifically mention to you, Mr. Prime Minister, that in March 2019, and after contacts and discussions that lasted two years, the then general secretary of the Ministry of Transport announced a road map of specific actions in the direction of finding solutions for the relationship of Larissa with the railway, with first and the main issue is the preparation of a feasibility study – sustainability of the alternative solutions required (undergrounding, open trench, bypassing the city, underpasses, etc.).

After the change in the country’s governance, nothing progressed. However, on our part, the effort continued with the aim of implementing the planned developments.

A year ago, in a meeting of the technical levels of the OSE and the Municipality of Larissa, in the presence of political staff of the two bodies, it was decided to co-finance a study of the feasibility and viability of the alternative solutions required on the basis of mutual benefit to solve the serious problem of the city. So far nothing has happened! Instead, we faced systematic neglect and disrespect. The widespread request of Larissa to provide solutions that would ensure the smooth operation of the city, but also the safety of the citizens, has been ignored over time, systematically and ostentatiously!

Mr. Prime Minister

In these difficult hours of pain and mourning, we now address the request to you to take the necessary initiatives, so that Larissa stops paying this peculiar blood tax. We invite you, within the framework of the initiatives for the safety of rail transport in the country, as they were formulated in the recent Council of Ministers, to personally undertake the task of finding a solution to the issue of the passage of the railway lines through the urban fabric of Larissa and the risks which implies something like this for our citizens. We don’t want to mourn any more victims.

We know that times are difficult. We also know that in these difficult times the only reliable option is to do everything possible to avoid similar situations in the future.

For our part, the Municipality of Larissa is organizing an open consultation process next Wednesday, March 15, with citizens and representatives of the city’s agencies, so that the local community can position itself against the issue and introduce the matter to our Municipal Council. At the same time, we await your actions.