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Automation and signaling on Greek railwaysA summary of how the much-touted project to modernize the country’s network stalled
HMV dog breed 'on brink of extinction'Nipper, HMV’s dog, is believed to have been a Smooth Fox Terrier, a breed which has suffered a 97 per cent collapse in annual puppy births
Unjustified delays in signaling systemEmails seen by Kathimerini show omissions in the implementation of specific safety projects
Greece’s Population Will Decrease By 2.5 Million Until 2050, Study RevealsThe population of Greece is likely to decrease by 2.5 million within the next 27 years, which means that the average age in the country will increase.This could cause difficulties after there would be not enough workforce between the ages of 18 and 65 in order to cover the pensions of the elderly with their contributions.
Neglect led to deadly train collisionSignalling only operates in certain sections of the main rail line from Athens to Thessaloniki, forcing station masters to communicate with each other and train drivers via two-way radio. In the section where a passenger train and a freight train ran on the same track for over 15 minutes before colliding, the signalling system malfunctioned six years ago and was never repaired, Panayotis Paraskevopoulos, a retired former head of the railroad employees’ union, told Kathimerini.At least €170 million have been invested in modernizing sections of the network that either barely function (such as in western Thessaly and western Macedonia) or were shut down, like the meter gauge railway in the Peloponnese. In the latter case, rolling stock, left unattended in depots, has been vandalized by gangs that cut the metal to sell for scrap.
Train Collision: Larissa Station Master, Supervisor And OSE Inspector Suspended Until Investigation Is CompletedHellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) on Sunday announced that the Larissa station master on duty at the time of the fatal Tempi train collision, his supervisor and OSE inspector Dimitris Nikolaou have been suspended from work until the investigation into the causes of the accident have concluded.According to a transport ministry announcement, the OSE inspector has been suspended until there is an investigation into whether the relatively inexperienced station master, Vasilis Samaras, was an appropriate choice for station master in Larissa, which has one of the largest and busiest stations in the country.
In Albania, day of mourning for the victims in GreeceBy decision of the Council of Ministers, Sunday has been declared a day of national mourning, in honor of the victims as a result of the tragic railway accident that occurred in the Republic of Greece on February 28.57 people lost their lives from the collision of the trains, while among the victims there are also 6 Albanian citizen.Today, in all state and public institutions, the national flag was lowered to half-mast.
Historic agreement to protect the world's oceans reached after decade of talksThe United Nations (UN) has reached an historic agreement to protect huge parts of the world's oceans after a decade of negotiations.The High Seas Treaty is a legally binding deal which aims to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, in an effort to safeguard biodiversity within international waters.The treaty will create a new body to manage conservation of ocean life and establish marine protected areas in the high seas, defined as the regions outside national boundary waters.