Greek railway disaster trial resumes on June 2

The criminal trial concerning the May 2023 Tempe railway collision in Greece resumed on Tuesday, 2 June, at the Larissa Court of Appeals after a month‑long pause for courtroom renovations. The hearing involved 36 defendants, including senior officials of the state rail operator OSE, the infrastructure manager ERGOSE, the Transport Ministry, Hellenic Train and the railway regulator.

The defendants’ legal team lodged objections to the statements made by lawyers’ unions, the Panhellenic Union of Personnel, and the Greek State itself, which had singled out four station masters and an inspector. Relatives of the victims protested, with father Dimitris Plakias shouting “«Ακούμε το βιογραφικό της δολοφόνου»” (“We hear the biography of the murderer”), prompting the presiding judge to remove him from the courtroom.

Charges include dangerous interference with railway operations, homicide by negligence, and multiple counts of bodily injury. The trial, now in its early procedural stage, is expected to continue over the coming weeks.