The OSE announced the immediate adoption of additional measures to enhance rail transport safety, following near train collision at Agioi Anargyroi stationbut also she train collision with fallen trees between Sfendalis and Afidna stations.
According to an announcement by the Agency’s management, it was decided to accelerate the already planned measures in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, as well as to generally increase the safety of passengers and vehicles.
What is he planning?
More specifically, the President of OSE, Mr. Giannos Grammatidis, made the following announcement: “In collaboration with the Managing Director of OSE, Mr. Panagiotis Terezakis, we are today accelerating the creation of a new Greenery and Environment Department within the Organization, which will be tasked with planning, procedures and execution of projects for clearing native vegetation and cutting trees along the entire railway network of the country. In addition, the new Directorate will be responsible for the overall reduction of the Organization’s environmental footprint. It should be noted that until now, the work of clearing and cutting trees fell under the competence of the Line Management. Consequently, with this decision we achieve autonomy with the aim of increasing efficiency and increasing the speed of response. The new Directorate, which will report directly to the CEO, will be composed of two Services, the Green Service and the Environmental Service, headed respectively by an agronomist and an environmentalist. A related proposal will be submitted for approval at the next meeting of the OSE Board of Directors, next Thursday, September 19, 2024.”
Grammatidis also added that “the Organization has planned and will already propose the institution of an independent and overriding right of the OSE to cut trees both within the expropriated railway corridors on both sides of the tracks and outside them, that is, also on lands irrespective of public or private use or forestry restrictions and always along its active network, suspended and extinguished for reasons of non-obstruction to public transport, safety of the traveling public, avoiding fires and pollution of the environment.”
“In this way, the Organization accelerates the adoption of these measures for a more rational management of the respective issues, bypassing labyrinthine responsibilities that only cause delays and, ultimately, for the protection of the public interest” concluded Mr. Grammatidis.