New questions are being raised by the incident of sabotage recorded yesterday afternoon on the Athens-Thessaloniki main railway line, just before Platy, in Emathia.

The fault in the signalling and telecommunications system was recorded at about 17:00 when it was discovered that three signalling and telecommunications cables had been cut, as well as a fibre-optic cable. The action resulted in the system being taken out of service on that section of the line, which was immediately noticed by the control centres. Crews were rushed to the site to repair the damage, with initial estimates suggesting a full restoration of service by noon today.

In the meantime, all prescribed safety protocols were implemented, with traffic being conducted by voice commands and alternative procedures, as provided in cases of loss of telecommunications. At the time of the incident only commercial trains were in motion, with constant communication between the agencies involved.

Of particular concern is the fact that at the site the cement covering the cables was reportedly broken but was not removed. This has sparked debates as to the motives behind the act, as it is possible that the perpetrators were noticed and abandoned the attempt before completing their action.

The incident was commented on by Deputy Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis, who, speaking to SKAI, referred to sabotage and questioned: “Some wanted a new Tebbi;” He said those cables had been installed after the Tempe tragedy, and assured that the problem is being fixed and the system will be back to full operation within a few hours.

However, similar incidents of cable theft or damage have been recorded in the past at various points on the network. Recently, during a police operation in Aspropyrgos, quantities of stolen cables and related material were found.

The consolation is that the fault was immediately identified and no accident was caused. However, the country’s extensive railway network makes it extremely difficult to monitor at all times, and the phenomenon of theft and sabotage remains a perennial challenge for the authorities concerned.