Human error the final link in long chain of omissions
Human error was the final link in the chain of errors and omissions that led to the tragic train disaster in Tempe late Tuesday night.
The 59-year-old stationmaster of Larissa was arrested as the major suspect, and he was also named as the responsible party by three Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) and Hellenic Train officials who testified.
He was arrested by police officers of the Larissa Traffic Department, which is responsible for the preliminary investigation. A case was lodged against him for the offenses of manslaughter by negligence and causing bodily injury by negligence.
He appeared before the city prosecutor and officers of the Hellenic Police (ELAS) to provide explanations.
He allegedly claimed that during his shift he gave an order to change the tracks on the railway network so that the two trains would not move on the same line but that the system apparently did not respond.
This version of events is supported by a photograph from the stationmaster’s logbook that shows he instructed the fatal Inter City 62 train to continue its journey to Neos Poros, apparently not knowing that the freight train was moving on the same piece of track right toward it.
A colleague reportedly said in an interview with the media that before the fatal accident another train had come to a standstill at Tempe. And that in order to move the stalled train to the nearest station there were changes to the tracks but the network was not later restored to its previous state.
Tellingly, the arrested man had only been appointed to the position of stationmaster a few months ago after a short training program. He had previously worked at posts in the organization.
