The Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) on Friday announced a grant to the Greek state of nearly 2.5 million euros to fund the acquisition and installment of a new geolocation system, identified as HEPOS, on all trains operating in the country.

The system will also allow users to access a digital platform, railway.gov.gr, to receive nearly real-time information on routes.

A basic edition of the system has been tested on a pilot basis since July on certain railcars.

The contribution is particularly noteworthy in light of the February 2023 Tempi rail disaster in north-central Greece, given that deficient monitoring and signaling infrastructure on that portion of the main north-south rail line failed to prevent or correct a human error that caused two trains to collide.

“By using high-precision receivers and real-time data transmission, the OSE traffic control center can constantly monitor the position of each train, enhancing safety, traffic control and overall reliability of the network,” a relevant announcement by the transport ministry stated, referring to OSE, the state-run railways organization responsible for managing rail traffic and infrastructure.

The ministry announcement, signed by Alternate Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis, also warmly thanked the UGS and its president, Melina Travlos, for the grant on “such a crucial issue for the safety of passengers.”

UGS President Melina Travlos