Following the “PPC model” chosen by the government, and with massive interest from Greeks abroad with significant railway expertise, the staffing of the new company Hellenic Railways S.A. is underway. This company succeeds OSE, ERGOSE, and GAIAOSE.

As revealed today by Proto Thema, the executive team has already been finalized, while in the coming period the staffing of the main directorates will also be important. These positions will be filled by individuals with experience in similar companies abroad who have already expressed interest through the platform braingain.ose.gr, launched by Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis, who is in charge of this project.

The man tasked with running this new project is Christos Palios, who is expected to follow in the footsteps of Giorgos Stassis at PPC, with the government hoping he will succeed in the same way. The new CEO of Hellenic Railways S.A. was until recently the CEO of ERGOSE, a role he assumed right after the Tempi tragedy.

He completed the much-discussed Contract 717, which installed signaling and remote control on the main Athens–Thessaloniki–Platy axis, as well as Contract 10005, which implemented the ETCS on-track system in sections of the PATHEP corridor. During his tenure at ERGOSE, the new line between Polykastro and Idomeni was completed, as were new railway bridges over the Gallikos River and major flood protection works. At the same time, EU funding exceeding €1 billion was secured for critical railway projects in Greece.

Expertise

According to Ministry of Transport sources, the response from Greeks abroad to participate in key positions of the new company has been encouraging. Up until a few days ago, 249 applications of interest had been submitted via braingain.ose.gr. Most applicants come from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Switzerland—countries where trains are a primary mode of transport. The average experience of applicants is 13 years, with many exceeding 15 years in railway-related companies. On average, they have worked abroad for 10 years, with experience at major corporations such as Network Rail, Deutsche Bahn, Eurostar, Hitachi, Alstom, Siemens, etc.

The first priority of the new company will be the full operation of the automatic braking system (ETCS), with works underway in Thessaly and expected to be completed by summer 2026. Kyranakis recently stated the project is slightly ahead of schedule. Additionally, the broader digital transformation of the railway is under review, with projects that will radically improve safety and traffic management.

For months now, a train geolocation system has been in operation, sending alerts within seconds when two trains enter the same line. Under the new corporate structure, a Unified Traffic Control Center will also operate to better oversee train movement across the network. Also on the agenda is the renewal of rolling stock, with more modern and comfortable trains, while the company’s mission also includes strengthening the commercial role of rail freight, aiming at substantial integration with the country’s major ports (Thessaloniki, Alexandroupoli, Kavala).

The new Board of Directors

The new Chairman of the Board is Giorgos Ioannou, Professor of Production and Service Management at the Athens University of Economics and Business. Ioannou has also been Chairman of OSE’s Board since late 2024, and from 2019 to 2022 served as CEO of the Hellenic Energy Exchange. In the past, he was a member of the National Council for Innovation and a senior manager at Deloitte. Kristi Agapitou, Assistant Professor in the Department of Tourism Studies at Piraeus University, will be Vice President of the Board. She has business consulting experience and worked as an auditor at Greece’s Large Enterprises Audit Center (AADE). In 2023, she ran for mayor of Chalandri against current mayor Simos Roussos.

Besides Palios, who will also sit on the board, another member is Vangelis Christogiannis, Deputy CEO, engineer from NTUA and PhD from AUTH, specializing in the economic performance analysis of railway corridors. He has over 20 years of experience at OSE, holding key positions in maintenance, inspection, and infrastructure project management.

Other members include Thanasis Staveris, former Secretary-General of Telecommunications and Post and current CEO/founder of Tools of Tech, a consulting firm specializing in technology, cybersecurity, and AI applications for public and private sectors; Katerina Demerouti, General Director of Corporate Support at STASY since 2021, overseeing finance, procurement, IT, and HR; and Marios Bopopoulos, an electrical engineer with over 15 years of international experience in railways and energy. He is currently CEO of PPC Inspectra (PPC Group) and has previously served as Director of PPC Innovation Hub and Programme Engineering Manager at Network Rail in the UK.