European Train Control System

About eight months after a severe storm in the Thessaly region of central Greece flooded the region, restoration of the damaged Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) network in the area is facing significant delays. 

New Left Party leader Alexis Haritsis visited the Hellenic Train engine room in the Attica suburb of Rentis on Wednesday to discuss railway service conditions with employers amid the ongoing investigation into the Tempe rail crash. 

The collision in February 2023 resulted in the loss of 57 lives and left numerous others injured. 

The European Train Control System (ETCS) suffered the same fate as the automatic signaling system, which was not in place at the time of the February 28 railway collision.

Infrastructure manager NRIC has awarded the ERTMS CA Voluyak DZZD consortium of local company AER and CAF Signalling a  contract to modernise signalling and telecoms on the 12 km route from Sofia to Obelya and Voluyak.

Announcing the contract win on August 1, CAF Signalling said this was a strategic project for Bulgaria, as the route includes the capital's main station.

The project to electrify the railway section between Lianokladi and Domokos on the Athens-Thessaloniki route will reportedly be completed by the end of the month, allowing Italian-owned railway service operator Trainose to launch the Pendolino ETR-485 electric trains that will cut the journey between the two cities to just over four hours.

Working with the Directorate-General for Foreign Relations & European Union Affairs, the transport ministry has awarded a contract to modernise a 200 km section of the main line which links Istanbul with the Bulgarian border to a consortium of domestic construction and contracting groups Gulermak Agir Sanayii ve Taah and Alsim Alarko Sanayi Tes ve Tic, reports Railway Gazette.