Bagalos and images of shame in unguarded crossings of OSE on the Thessaloniki – Serres axis

His remains unguarded and a solution is not seen on the horizon. Trains pass without going down the bars on the Thessaloniki – Serres axis… From 15 December 2023 and despite the persistent calls of drivers, three main crossings remain unguarded on the Thessaloniki – Serres axis, because OSE does not find spare parts for the mechanisms! The video with a passenger train passing through an unguarded crossing on the Thessaloniki-Serres axis, at the height of Doirani, raises questions and condenses the mess in the OSE which appears to continue. It is characteristic that the driver reduces speed while approaching the unattended – but busy mostly for trucks – crossing and seconds later, a worker – security descends from the train and enters a taxi driver’s role, ensuring the smooth passage of the passenger train. At the same time it even informs passing vehicle drivers to wait. According to reports at thestoday.gr, on the Thessaloniki – Serres axis the three main crossings remain out of operation and unguarded from December 15, 2023. The cause is according to complaints, because the OSE does not find spare parts for the mechanism that activates the security system, i.e. to lower the bars at the time the passenger train passes and climb immediately afterwards. It is typical that, for three months and despite the driver’s “voices”, the company has constantly renewed the deadline for the correction of the issue: since the end of January it was moved to February 15th, after the end of February and now informed of a new, unknown date and while the routes are normally carried out at risk of accidents. A driver performing this route explains that in the event of rain and due to the slip on the tracks, the scenario could have been completely different. “We have been shouting about this issue for months. It’s an ordinary, everyday image. We now know as much as the drivers of trucks how to move. We are always slowing down before we approach the specific crossing, which is the largest and busiest on this axis,” he said, however, highlighting the risks these conditions pose. “Because we have previously seen drivers unable to stop trains from the braking system in time due to slippage, there is fear in case of rain accidents. One must finally listen to us, because a year after Temby the situation in the OSE remains dramatic, perhaps worse than it was before the tragedy,” he said.