Greek railway scandal widens after deadly train crash

Sixteen people—including 13 public officials—are now facing serious criminal charges in Greece over a long-troubled railway project funded largely by the European Union.

A view of the railway line in Athens, Greece—part of the national network where outdated signaling and communication systems remain a serious concern. The failure to modernize these systems is at the heart of the investigation into the Tempi train disaster, which killed 57 people in February 2023. Despite millions in EU funding, promised safety upgrades were delayed or left incomplete, raising urgent questions about accountability and infrastructure safety. Photo: eppo.europa.eu

The €41 million contract, known as Contract 717, was meant to modernize the traffic control and signaling systems on one of Greece’s busiest rail lines. Instead, the project was plagued by delays, missing equipment, and millions in payments for work that was never properly finished.

Now, prosecutors believe the failure of that project played a key role in one of the country’s worst modern tragedies—the Tempi train disaster of 2023, where two trains collided and 57 people were killed.

What went wrong with Contract 717?

Launched in 2014, Contract 717 was supposed to install modern safety systems along the Athens–Thessaloniki railway. Despite an original completion date of 2016, the work dragged on for years. According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), public officials signed off on work that wasn’t done or was done incorrectly, allowing contractors to collect millions from EU funds.

In 2019–2020, the construction consortium even claimed nearly €2.7 million in compensation for equipment breakdowns—faults that were allegedly their own responsibility. These payments were approved by government officials without proper review. In total, the losses to EU and Greek public money are estimated at over €15 million.

The link to the Tempi train crash

On February 28, 2023, a passenger train and a freight train collided head-on near the town of Tempi, killing 57 people. Investigations revealed that basic electronic signaling systems were missing or nonfunctional. Train routing was done manually by voice commands—despite over a decade of EU-funded upgrades.

The Tempi disaster shocked the nation and triggered mass protests, especially among young people. It also led to the resignation of Greece’s transport minister and an urgent re-examination of the entire railway system. Now, prosecutors say the failure to complete Contract 717 played a direct role in the tragedy.

In early 2023, tens of thousands took to the streets in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other cities, demanding justice and rail safety reforms. Demonstrators, many of them students, chanted “It wasn’t an accident, it was a crime” and called for the resignation of government officials. Transport workers went on strike, and protests continued for months—fueled further by revelations of corruption tied to the failed railway upgrade project known as Contract 717. The movement remains a powerful call for accountability and infrastructure reform in Greece.

Who is being charged?

Among the 16 suspects are engineers, ministry officials, and the former Greek Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. They face accusations of misuse of public funds, forgery, fraud, and negligence. The case has been sent to a Special Investigative Judge in Greece.

Why this matters

Greece’s railway system is not just a domestic issue—it’s co-financed by the European Union, meaning that taxpayers across Europe helped fund these projects. The case is a warning about what happens when infrastructure money is mismanaged or corruption goes unchecked, especially in sectors that affect public safety.

As the criminal investigation unfolds, the families of those lost in the Tempi disaster continue to seek justice—and the EU is demanding stricter oversight to ensure this never happens again.