In central Greece In the city of Tempe, which happened last week severe storm, caused serious damage to the country's railway infrastructure. Due to the storm Athens-Thessaloniki railway line Services were suspended on many railway lines, including: Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) Bashkanı Panagiotis Terezakisannounced that intensive work was being carried out to make the railway network operational again on Wednesday.
First Responses After the Storm
OSE President Terezakis, in a statement to state television ERT, said that their primary goal Athens and Thessaloniki He stated that the aim was to restart the services of commercial trains that were stuck in stations. Providing information about the intensity of the work, Terezakis drew attention to the following points:
- Water drainage in the tunnels has been largely completed.
- Mud and debris cleaning is carried out rapidly by teams.
- After cleaning Washing the tunnels and reopening them to traffic Targeted.
This process is expected to be completed by Wednesday morning and the rail network restored, but this is conditional on weather conditions not deteriorating again.
Causes of Flooding in the Railway Tunnel
The flooding of the railroad tunnel in Tempe is thought to be the result of extreme weather conditions. Panagiotis Terezakis, explained the situation as follows:
- The region experienced unprecedented amounts of rainfall.
- Drainage systems protecting the tunnel, dense rainwater rubble and mud was blocked due to.
- Heavy rainfall caused the systems protecting the tunnel to become inadequate.
Terezakis emphasized that such an event had not occurred in the region before, the extraordinary intensity of the storm He stated that control mechanisms were having difficulties due to this.
Tunnel Control Center and Camera Monitoring System
In recent years, various technological innovations have been implemented in Greece's railway infrastructure. According to information provided by Terezakis:
- In the last six months, in the tunnels camera monitoring systems was put into operation.
- These cameras, To the 24-hour Tunnel Control Center in Larissa transferring data.
- Operators immediately detected the flooding and tried to intervene in the situation. However, the intensity and rapid filling of the water made evacuation difficult.
Work Planned to Reopen the Railway Network
OSE continues its work rapidly to make the railway network operational as soon as possible. In this context:
- Water Discharge: All the water accumulated in the tunnels was drained.
- Cleaning Works: Clearing of mud and debris continues.
- Washing Procedures: The tunnels will be washed with hoses for safe traffic.
- Resumption of Services: In the first phase, commercial trains will be put into service, then all lines will be put into service.
The Importance of Railway Infrastructure in Greece
Railways in Greece, especially Athens-Thessaloniki line, is considered the lifeblood of the country’s transportation infrastructure. The closure of this line creates a major disruption for both commercial and passenger transportation. Efforts to quickly return to normal are testing Greece’s infrastructure resilience and crisis management capacity.
Flooding and storms in Tempe, climate change once again revealed its effects on infrastructures. Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), is carrying out extensive work to make the railway network operational as soon as possible under these difficult conditions. The re-opening of the Athens-Thessaloniki line will be a critical step for the economic and social functioning of the country.
