Nikolopoulos requested authorities to determine whether criminal acts of a felony nature occurred, identify those responsible, and report back on the results of the criminal investigation.

At the same time, a police-led investigation is underway, with officials from the Northern Greece Criminal Investigations Sub-Directorate on site conducting examinations.

The incident occurred around 17:00, when three signaling and control cables, as well as a fiber-optic cable, were cut. This caused the signaling and control system in that section of the railway line to go offline, which the control centers immediately detected. Maintenance crews rushed to restore the system, with initial estimates projecting full restoration by midday today.

The maintenance lead on the network reported that cement casings were broken and the cables were cut with a rotary tool.

Second Attempt Raises Further Questions
New reports indicate a second sabotage attempt yesterday afternoon at another nearby location while crews were repairing the damage at Platy. The perpetrators cut cables again, without stealing them, causing additional damage to the fiber-optic lines.

Safety Protocols Maintained
All safety protocols were followed, with train traffic operating under voice commands and alternative procedures as required in cases of signaling loss. Only freight trains were in operation at the time, with continuous communication between all involved services.

Political Reaction
Speaking to STAR, Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis confirmed that the incidents occurred at two nearby points. He stated: “At one site, we had active control cables protected by cement casings, so the perpetrators clearly knew where to strike.”

Regarding the second site, Kyranakis added: “They cut fiber-optic cables, and in both cases, no cables were removed, which suggests that the attackers did not have financial gain in mind. The question remains: what other motive could there be?”

He also speculated whether the timing—two days before the anniversary of the Tempi train disaster—was deliberate: “Was the attacker aiming to create a new Tempi?”