By Yannis Anifantis

With the testimony of the former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Dimitris Repa restarted the work of the commission of inquiry to investigate the causes of the train accident in Tempi.

The former minister of PASOK during the period 2009-2011, assessed the human factor in the accident as decisive, pointing out, however, that the trains would stop automatically if there was remote control. In fact, regarding the method of hiring the “fatal” station master, he stated that he should not have been chosen for this particular position.

Mr. Reppas estimated that there was a “confluence of factors” that contributed to the Tempe train accident, arguing that the required safety valves were not in place. He didn’t talk about understaffing of the OSE, recalling that during the period of his own tenure there were two station masters and an inspector at each station, while among the causes of the accident he included the non-implementation of contract 717.

Circles of the majority emphasize that Mr. Reppas appeared at the investigative committee, “without a trace of self-criticism for the political responsibilities that weigh on him”.

As they report, “the former minister of PASOK easily accused the current government of delaying the restoration of the remote control center in Larissa, but he “forgot” that he himself, as the political head of the OSE, did not advance any work to promote this system, nor did he “remember” that the present administration completed the 717 convention, the implementation of which was pending for nearly a decade.” They add that “in a provocative manner, Mr. Reppas passionately defended his tenure and the government of George Papandreou, leaving the question unanswered because he did nothing to promote the 200 million euro projects of the period 1985-2000 which were not delivered arguing that in that case contract extensions were justified”.

“The architect of the impoverishment of the OSE which decreased by 50% in 2010-11 the railway staff found everything well done despite the fact that out of 5,151 employees, the Organization found itself with only 2,350. The reduction in staff brought chain problems among which the abandonment of maintenance of the expensively purchased safety systems. It is indicative that as soon as the term of office of Mr. Reppas ended, the tendering process began for the downsizing and upgrading of the specific systems, namely the object of the 717, which would have been unnecessary if the maintenance was carried out normally. Nevertheless, the former minister of PASOK found the reduction of staff “reasonable” during that period, arguing that the total number of employees was 5,151 and 2,800 were transferred, while he argued that the security staff was slightly reduced due to the cut of part of the network and the suspension of operations. No reason, of course, for the fact that the suspension of line operations in the Peloponnese corresponds to only 20% of the network, while the reduction of staff during the days reached 50%. This discrepancy rightly raises security issues, which, however, did not seem to move the former minister who chose throughout his marathon testimony to shake off any shadow of responsibility from him”, the same circles note.

The work of the examination committee will continue tomorrow morning at 10 with the examination of the former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in the period 2013 – 2015, Michalis Chrysochoidis and the former president and managing director of OSE Panagiotis Theofanopoulos.