Former Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis clashed live on air with journalist Katerina Papakostopoulou during a heated debate over railway safety in Greece.
The row took place on the OPEN television network following questions about the operation of automated braking and signaling systems along the main rail route connecting Athens and Thessaloniki.
The dispute erupted after statements by Kostas Genidounias, the former president of the train drivers union, who stated that the ITCS automatic braking system had not yet been activated despite previous government commitments.
Kyranakis, who serves as secretary of the ruling New Democracy party, rejected the claims and presented a photograph from the railway remote control center in Larissa. He said safety tests were currently underway to bring full remote control and signaling into operation along the main corridor between Athens and Thessaloniki within the week.
The Integrated Train Control System, known as ITCS, is an automated braking technology designed to stop trains automatically if safety parameters are breached or signals are passed. The city of Larissa serves as a central rail junction in central Greece, where remote traffic management equipment oversees train movements along the principal trunk line connecting the capital with northern regions.
During the broadcast, Kyranakis emphasized the critical role of remote control technology, noting that human intervention would no longer be involved in the signaling and control process.
Driver training responsibilities
The debate intensified when the discussion turned to whether train drivers had received adequate instruction on the newly introduced security infrastructure. Kyranakis stated that informing and training drivers on the operational systems was the responsibility of rail operator Hellenic Train.
Hellenic Train is the primary passenger and freight rail operator in Greece, running daily intercity services across the national network. OPEN is a nationwide terrestrial television station in Greece that produces live news programming and political discussions.
Papakostopoulou challenged the former minister's position, questioning whether passengers were safe if drivers had not been properly briefed on the updated safety systems. She asked whether passengers were left at mercy without informed drivers and whether children were safe when boarding trains.
Kyranakis responded by accusing the journalist of speaking nonsense during the debate. He maintained that additional safety measures were active today, adding that passengers and officials could now monitor train positions in real time using a digital application.
Parents and passenger safety
Papakostopoulou pushed back against the minister's characterization, stating that parents asking basic questions without being technical experts should not be accused of speaking nonsense. She added that her inquiry was a straightforward human question rather than a complex or improper query.
Defending the reliability of the implemented safety measures, Kyranakis told the broadcast that he had put his own daughter on the train as proof of his confidence in the network's safety.
New Democracy, the governing center-right political party in Greece, has faced sustained attention over national infrastructure projects and transport security. Further safety testing on the signaling axis between Athens and Thessaloniki continues as engineering teams work toward full system activation.
