Developments in the Tempi train disaster trial and special court referral

The trial regarding the Tempi train disaster entered its fourth week of testimony from victims' relatives at the Three-Member Court of Appeals in Larissa on September 29, 2026. During the session, 13 witnesses were scheduled to testify, while three new legal motions were submitted by the prosecution side. These include requests for forensic examination of the mobile phones belonging to the night-shift station master and the late assistant driver Nikolaos Nalbantis. Additionally, there are requests to summon Minister Adonis Georgiadis and MP Dimitris Markopoulos as witnesses, though the public prosecutor recommended rejecting these particular calls.

Simultaneously, the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court has reportedly adopted a proposal to refer former Deputy Minister Christos Triantopoulos and four other individuals to a Special Court. This referral relates to the charge of breach of duty concerning the rapid cleanup of the crash site, widely referred to as the "bazoma" or burying of the scene, shortly after the tragedy. As the trial proceeds, victims' families continue to demand accountability, criticizing the state for its handling of the crash site and questioning the haste with which the scene was altered.