Tempi train crash trial resumes in Larissa with 36 defendants as witness phase approaches
The trial over Greece's 2023 Tempi rail disaster will reconvene at the University of Thessaly following an August recess, moving toward witness testimony after defense claims conclude.
Resumption of proceedings in Larissa
The trial over the Tempi railway collision will resume on Monday, 7 September 2026, at the Gaiopolis conference center of the University of Thessaly in Larissa. The Larissa Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies will reconvene following the summer recess that paused hearings throughout August. During the upcoming session, defense counsel representing 36 defendants will present their independent and negative legal arguments. This step follows the formal reading of the indictment by the court prosecutor during the previous session on 28 July 2026. Because several defense attorneys already delivered their arguments before the reading of charges, proceedings on Monday will move at a faster pace.
Transition to the evidentiary phase
Following the completion of defense arguments, the presiding judge will announce the official list of witnesses to initiate the evidentiary phase of the trial. The evidentiary hearings will begin after 25 court sessions across more than 150 days since the trial first opened on 23 March 2026. Family members of passenger train driver Giorgos Koutsioubas, one of 57 victims killed in the crash, will be the first witnesses called to the stand. The 36 defendants facing charges include former and current executives and staff who served in railway bodies between 2016 and 2023. These organizations include the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE), ERGOSE, the Regulatory Authority for Railways (RAS), the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and rail operator Hellenic Train.
- Trial begins at the Larissa Three-Member Court of Appeal for Felonies
- Hearings pause for one month to allow courtroom expansion works
- Prosecutor completes formal reading of the indictment against 36 defendants
- Court resumes after August recess to conclude defense claims and start witness testimonies
Facility expansion and legal rulings
The court will enter this phase following significant courtroom adjustments and procedural decisions resolved during the initial five months of hearings. In response to overcrowding protests from victims' relatives and defense counsel, the court suspended operations during May 2026 to undertake extensive structural work. Construction teams demolished walls and integrated adjoining spaces, enlarging the courtroom from 283.75 square meters to 452.01 square meters to accommodate trial participants and observers.
- Initial courtroom area
- 283.75 sq m
- Expanded courtroom area
- 452.01 sq m
The judicial panel also restricted civil party participation to relatives of the 57 victims, injured survivors, and the Greek State strictly regarding the felony charge of disrupting transport safety. Applications from bar associations and the train drivers union (PEPE) were rejected by the bench. Additionally, judges denied requests for live radio and television coverage, as well as postponement petitions filed by ERGOSE executives regarding parallel proceedings by the European Public Prosecutor's Office over Contract 717.
Family demands and upcoming schedule
Relatives of the crash victims will maintain their attendance in Larissa as witness testimony begins. The association representing the families affirmed their continuous presence following the conclusion of the July session.
We make it clear in every direction: we are not stopping. We will be there, inside and outside the courtroom, until the full uncovering of the truth, the upgrade of the charges and the delivery of justice for all those responsible.
Following Monday's session, the court will convene on nine additional dates in September: 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 29, and 30 September 2026. The judicial calendar also sets ten hearing dates for October 2026, scheduled for 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 26, and 27 October.
