Trial for Greece's Deadliest Train Crash Begins Amid Public Outcry

Wed Apr 01 2026 20:10:05 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The courtroom was filled with grieving families as the trial for the tragic train collision in Greece that claimed 57 lives began amidst demands for justice and allegations of negligence.

Families of the victims from Greece's worst train disaster gathered in court, seeking justice for their loved ones. They were confronted with restrictions on courtroom access as the trial resumed, following a chaotic start where emotions ran high. The case, centered on a deadly collision in February 2023, has sparked national outrage over alleged negligence and corruption. A total of 36 defendants face charges that could result in life sentences, as the trial is expected to last for years involving hundreds of witnesses.

Relatives of the 57 people who died in Greece's worst ever train disaster crowded into a courtroom on Wednesday, demanding justice for the victims.

The trial had already been postponed once because of the chaotic start last week.

Most of the victims of the crash three years ago were students, killed when their intercity service from Athens to Thessaloniki smashed head-on into a goods train on the same line near Tempi in the centre of the country.

Some of the victims are thought to have burnt to death after surviving the initial collision.

Many relatives were unable to get into the courtroom in the central town of Larissa last week, and the situation was little different when it resumed on Wednesday.

Police officers allowed in only participants who were legally scheduled to attend.

Some relatives complained that two rows of seats had been taken up by police, while others said they still could not witness proceedings clearly enough.

Defence lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou appealed for the proceedings to be filmed as access for families had been restricted.

The February 2023 disaster is widely known in Greece as the Tempi crime - with many arguing it encapsulates negligence and corruption at the heart of the state.

Thirty-six people are on trial in a case that is expected to hear from 350 witnesses and set to last years.

Among those killed was 20-year-old Anastasia Plakias, a student at the University of Thessaloniki who was travelling back to lectures after spending a holiday with her family.

Anastasia had been travelling with her 20-year-old twin cousins, Thomi and Chrysa, who were also killed.

The railway network had not made use of EU funding intended to improve safety. The head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, Laura Kovesi, later said the collision could have been avoided if the money had been spent on modernizing the signaling system in time.

Despite public outcry, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was re-elected soon after the disaster and has survived two related no-confidence votes in parliament.

This case continues to provoke significant public interest and outcry as families seek accountability for the tragic loss of their loved ones.