Woman and children trapped by train doors in Livadeia; investigation underway
A woman sustained minor injuries in a safety incident late Saturday at the Livadeia train station in central Greece. She was reportedly traveling on a train from Athens to Thessaloniki, which made a scheduled stop to allow passengers to disembark. However, before the disembarkation process was complete, the train doors suddenly closed, trapping the woman and her three children.
At the time of the incident, one of the children had allegedly already stepped onto the platform, another was in the mother’s arms, and the third child remained inside the train.
Former New Democracy MP Andreas Koutsoubas witnessed the event. “I ran with a colleague, shouting at the train driver to stop,” Koutsoubas recounted. The train halted approximately 50 meters down the platform, just before gaining speed. The doors were then reopened, and the mother and her children were safely freed. The mother, who sustained minor injuries, was left in a state of shock.
Koutsoubas immediately reported the incident to the authorities. He also claimed that train staff threatened him with charges of obstructing transportation and causing delays when he insisted the train be stopped.
The train eventually departed from Livadeia station. However, upon reaching Lianokladi, about 86 kilometers to the north, police officers were waiting and arrested both the train driver and the supervisor for further investigation into the incident.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the matter.
In a statement Sunday, Greek railway operator Hellenic Train said it is “carefully investigating the incident” to clarify the circumstances and causes. “Passenger safety is our top priority,” the company said, adding that it adheres to the highest safety standards.
