A preliminary report into the causes of the fatal train crash in the village of Adendro, near Thessaloniki, Greece, last week confirmed it was due to excessive speed, a preliminary report delivered to Infrastructure Minister Christos Spirtzis showed on Friday. The train served the Athens-Thessaloniki route.
According to the findings of the committee investigating the incident, the train had a speed of 144.3 km/h when it derailed and crashed into a house in Adendro on May 13, killing three people and injuring several others.
“The committee, taking into account the available information and subject to any additional information that may arise, as to the extent and magnitude of the damage, estimates that the cause of the derailment of passenger train [number] 58 on 13/5/2017 is its speed,” the report says.
“On the basis of the official analysis of the data of the tachograph (Teloc) done by TRAINOSE at the time of the derailment, its speed was 144.3 km/h, while the permitted speed in the area of Adedro was 60 km/h. The brake does not appear to have been pressed,” it adds.
On questions related to the sturdiness of the rail tracks, the report says they will be answered after the laboratory test conducted on a rail sample from a certified University laboratory, adding that authorities need to also examine measures that would prevent or reduce dramatically the ability to exceed the speed limit.
The final report on the accident will be delivered in the coming days. Crews working to restore the railway network in Adendro will finish removing the destroyed train carriages on Saturday and services are expected to be restored in the next ten days, the Infrastructure ministry said.
(Source: ANA-MPA)
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