Greece’s rail disaster due to chronic safety gaps, inquiry finds
Al JazeeraFEB 18
Greece Train Crash Report Reveals System Failures and Possible Mystery Fuel
Above: A victim's relative plants an olive tree at the crash site to mark two years since the train crash on Feb. 28, 2023, which killed 57 people, mostly students, and injured dozens, in the valley of Tempi, near Larissa, on Feb. 27, 2025. Image copyright: Sakis Mitrolidis/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
A post-financial crisis construction boom has transformed Greece with several multi-billion-dollar projects. However, the 2023 train crash revealed a decaying rail system that was underfunded, understaffed, and reliant on outdated walkie-talkies. Despite 6% annual investment growth, infrastructure has only risen by 1.5% in recent years, leaving a backlog of billions. Greece has worked hard, but modern safety demands far more.
Establishment-critical narrative
Global elites are as much to blame as anyone for Greece’s crumbling economy and infrastructure. The IMF’s botched austerity calculations slashed GDP far beyond predictions, costing jobs and tax revenue, while the EU enforced brutal cuts and privatization, selling off rail assets and stalling safety upgrades. There has been some progress, but the 2023 train crash proved that neglect persists thanks to global bodies meddling in Greek affairs.