The trial over the Tempi train collision continues at the three-member felony appeals court in Larissa this week. Twenty-six witnesses are expected to testify across three hearings, as proceedings enter a fifth week of testimony from victims’ relatives.

Dionysis Georgiadis testified the previous week about the care of his son, Gerasimos-Iasonas Georgiadis, a severely injured survivor. His son remains in a coma and has received treatment in hospitals and other medical facilities for about three and a half years. A passenger also testified in early September.

Court orders examination of stationmaster’s phone

The court approved a request to lift confidentiality protections on the accused night-shift stationmaster’s mobile phone. The Greek police’s forensic investigations department will examine incoming and outgoing calls, SMS and MMS messages, and communication-app data, including Viber.

If examiners find deleted files, they are to attempt to recover them. The court granted the request during the previous week, alongside decisions on other evidence sought by lawyers supporting the prosecution.

The court also ordered the seizure of the work phone belonging to Nikolaos Nalbantis, the passenger train’s assistant driver. Police must prepare a seizure report and submit it to the court. A final decision on whether to conduct a forensic examination of that device remains pending.

The court rejected a separate request to call two members of parliament, Adonis Georgiadis and Dimitris Markopoulos, as witnesses.

Families seek further evidence and witnesses

Victims’ relatives have submitted three additional requests. One concerns identifying and examining bone fragments collected at locations where train wreckage was taken, as well as examining soil from the collision site.

Another seeks testimony from seven former secretaries-general of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport who served between 2016 and 2023. The third asks for documents exchanged between the Greek government and the European Commission concerning railway safety. The outcome of these requests is not yet known.

Thirty-six officials face accusations

The case involves 36 current and former officials from organizations connected with Greek railways and the Transport Ministry. Thirty-three face a charge of dangerous interference with rail transport.

The accusation concerns acts that could endanger people and property, resulting in numerous deaths, serious injuries and substantial damage to public-utility facilities. That charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.