Brothers face felony charges for stealing railway equipment

Two brothers aged 43 and 49 years old, respectively, face criminal charges, including for endangering public safety, after allegedly stealing a railroad tie.

The metal tie was stolen from a Hellenic Railways (OSE) storage facility on the Veria-Edessa line in northern Greece and found in the trunk of the brothers' car, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency reported on Thursday.

The theft of any equipment associated with public transportation has become a felony since the deadly February 28 railway collision at Tempe in central Greece.

Illegal scrap metal rackets are known to strip parts from railways, bridges and other infrastructure.