With a focus on railway safety, the modernization of public transportation, road safety, and the digitization of critical services of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis took stock of his 15-month tenure during the handover ceremony to Giorgos Kotsiras.
The outgoing Deputy Minister of Transport emphasized that the key commitment he made following the Tempi tragedy has been fulfilled, stating: “Today we are handing over a railway system with five additional safeguards against human error.” As he said, “I kept my promise; we all kept it together,” noting that the work of the past 15 months had one central goal: “to ensure that no more children die on the Greek railways.”
Railways: No extension for the Daniel projects – full operation of safety systems by the end of August
He made special mention of the restoration projects on the main Athens–Thessaloniki railway line following the destruction caused by Daniel. As he noted, one month after taking office, the relevant contracts were signed, with the goal of ensuring that the Athens–Thessaloniki line has “100% signaling, 100% remote control, and a 100% ETCS automatic braking system.”
Mr. Kyranakis noted that no extension was granted, despite requests for one, stating: “We did not allow it because we had jointly made a promise to the Greek people that this project would be completed on time.” According to his statement, the first manuals for the Daniel contract section will be delivered on June 15, the second phase at the end of June, and “and not August,” construction work will be completed. The signaling, remote control, and ETCS systems, as he said, will be fully operational by the end of August.
New Control Center and railway.gov.gr
Referring to the new safety measures, he highlighted the operation of OSE’s 24-hour Operations Control Center and the digital monitoring tools available via railway.gov.gr. As he said, OSE can now accurately determine a train’s location, route, speed, the status of signaling equipment, and any traffic rule violations.
“The shameful conversations we heard after the Tempi disaster continued to reflect the culture of this organization, and we have changed that culture,” he said, adding that there is now “a safeguard against the heartbeat of human error.” As he said in closing his remarks, “as long as this safeguard, railway.gov.gr, exists and is operational, trains cannot collide again on the Greek railway.”
25 instead of 23 new trains from Hellenic Train – ‘The first two trains are coming this summer
Mr. Kyranakis also referred to the new agreement with Hellenic Train and the Italian Ferrovie dello Stato, noting for the first time that in the summer of 2026, two new trains will be added to the Greek railway network in addition to the 23 originally agreed upon. “With the same budget,” the additional commitment for 23 brand-new trains. As he said, the goal was for the new trains not to arrive in Greece within the average European delivery time of four years, but within months.
By the end of 2027, there is a commitment that the entire new fleet will be in Greece, Mr. Kyranakis concluded.
Training, evaluation, and psychometric tests in collaboration with the Hellenic National Defense General Staff
In his review of the railway sector, the outgoing Deputy Minister also highlighted the change in the staff training and evaluation model. As he stated, training is now conducted using simulators, while the evaluation includes psychometric tests in collaboration with the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, “to ensure absolute clarity and rigor” for critical security positions.
At the same time, he noted that lines have been reactivated, such as the connection to Florina, while remote control has been extended to Eidomeni, so that security systems cover the route all the way to the country’s border.
Donations for the renovation of the Athens and Thessaloniki stations
Mr. Kyranakis also provided an update on railway infrastructure, announcing that two major donation contracts for the renovation of the Athens and Thessaloniki stations have been approved by the OSE Board of Directors and the companies undertaking them.
As he stated, the Public Power Corporation (PPC) is undertaking the renovation of the historic Athens Station, with the aim of restoring it to its original architectural form, while a similar renovation will take place at the Thessaloniki station with a donation from METLEN.
Greece is exiting the railway supervision regime
Referring to the cooperation with the European Commission, Mr. Kyranakis emphasized that the action plan for the railways, which had been agreed upon by Christos Staikouras, is now 98% complete. As he said, following the signing of the ministerial decision on the new General Traffic Regulations, only one outstanding issue remains before Greece can exit the railway supervision regime “with the Commission’s seal of approval.”
Road Safety: 22% Reduction in Traffic Fatalities
In the area of road safety, the outgoing Deputy Minister referred to the reform of the new Highway Code, emphasizing that it has become stricter but also more understandable for citizens and drivers.
As he noted, Greece recorded the second-largest reduction in traffic fatalities in Europe in 2025. “From 665 lives lost on Greek roads the previous year, we dropped to 517. This is the largest reduction our country has ever seen,” he said, noting that while Europe recorded a 4% decrease, Greece achieved a 22% reduction.
He also highlighted the contribution of road accident victims’ associations, noting that their proposals were adopted, such as making the abandonment of a road accident victim a felony.
Public transportation: 1,076 new buses in Athens, doubling of the fleet in Thessaloniki
Regarding public transportation, Mr. Kyranakis spoke of a significant fleet renewal, noting that 1,076 new buses were delivered in Athens and that in Thessaloniki the fleet doubled, from approximately 240 to 500 buses.
At the same time, he mentioned the hiring of drivers that took place after 15 years, noting that today there are 2,800 drivers, with the goal of exceeding 3,000 by the end of the year. As he said, in combination with the dedicated bus lanes, these changes have led to improved frequencies on key routes. As an example, he noted that the frequency of line 550 has been reduced from 19 to 11 minutes, and line 608, which serves students, to 9 minutes.
Mr. Kyranakis also referred to the introduction of 24-hour service on Saturdays, the establishment of a driving school at OSY, which received over 600 applications, as well as the “Clean Line.”
Digitization of services and anti-corruption measures
He also made a special mention of the digitization of the Ministry of Transport’s services, in collaboration with EDYTE. As he said, all services related to licenses, renewals, and procedures handled by the Regions are now digital.
“This doesn’t just mean that citizens no longer have to wait in line. It also means less corruption,” he said, noting that complaints regarding driver’s licenses have already been forwarded to the Internal Affairs Service of the Hellenic Police and the National Transparency Authority.
Mr. Kyranakis also announced the installation of cameras in every vehicle used to test driver candidates, at the expense of the driving schools, so that every candidate has a safeguard in case the test is disputed. At the same time, he referred to the digital process for renewing driver’s licenses for older adults via IDIKA and a doctor’s digital signature.
Acknowledgments and handover to George Kotsiras
In closing, Konstantinos Kyranakis thanked the Prime Minister for his trust, as well as Christos Dimas and Nikos Tachiaos for their close cooperation. He also thanked the secretaries-general, the management of the supervised agencies, and the staff who worked to implement the measures.
Welcoming Giorgos Kotsiras, he described him as a “good friend,” “an exceptional politician,” and “the right person to continue this work,” stating that he feels confident that the initiatives set in motion are now “in good hands.”
“Our work day and night resulted in a promise that was kept,” said Mr. Kyranakis, adding that he is leaving the Ministry “able to look people in the eye” and say that the promise made after the Tempi disaster was kept in full.
It should be noted that Mr. Kyranakis is taking on the role of Secretary of the Political Committee of New Democracy.
