The draft law of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport entitled to the House was tabled in Parliament entitled: “Upgrading the safety of the railways, evaluation of staff railways, reinforcement of rail network supervision, organizational enhancement of the Hellenic Railway Regulatory Authority. and other provisions. “

This is a crucial step for modernizing and security of the Greek railway, which comes to cover accumulated weaknesses and to establish a new era of responsibility, transparency and technological competence.

The draft law, as presented by Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Konstantinos Kiranakis, is organized around three main pillars:

1. Upgrading Security and Technological Supervision Structures of the Railway Network

• Establishment of a Single Supervisory Center, which will operate as a “control tower” of the railway, with real-time monitoring of the entire network, immediate registration of commands and events, and activating trains immobilization mechanisms in the event of a risk.

• Mandatory installation of cameras in train drivers, station and critical infrastructure, as well as automated supervision software.

• Railway.gov.gr Digital Information Platform, with integrated geopenism via HEPOS (accuracy of up to 5 cm) and displaying the position of each train in real time.

• Establishing a digital rail data register and Alerts electronic system for violations of the Motion Regulation.

2. Establishing new insurance valves, compliance with the European framework and stricter training, evaluation and sanctions for rail staff

• Mandatory psychometric, medical and functional tests for all workers in critical duties, in cooperation with the Armed Forces.

• Establishing the institution of the train head, with the role of the train director, the possibility of intervention and immobilization in the event of a breach or inability to driver.

• System of categorization of infringements and monitoring of the behavior of each employee, with the possibility of removing and, in the event of a company’s oligarchy, suspension of authorization.

• Compliance with a European framework for the integration of Directive (EU) 2016/798 on the safety of the railways.

3. New Corporate Structure in OSE and organizational reinforcement of critical bodies

• Converting the OSE into “Hellenic Railways SA”, with administrative and financial autonomy, the possibility of recruitment with flexible processes and the possibility of attracting executives from the private sector or abroad.

• Organizational reinforcement of the Railway Regulatory Authority (RAS) and EPANAAM, with rapid staffing and setting up a special unit of inspectors.

• Establishing a single plan to deal with rail accidents, with the participation of all stakeholders, state and private bodies.

“With this draft law, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport is taking a meaningful step to change what holds the Greek railroad back. The aim is to operate with rules, to be based on modern tools and to provide greater security and transparency on every route, ”he said in a statement from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.