{"id":175363,"date":"2025-02-13T19:23:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T09:23:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=59797"},"modified":"2025-02-13T19:23:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T09:23:39","slug":"from-recovery-to-derailment-greece-north-macedonia-line-closed-for-two-months","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=175363","title":{"rendered":"From recovery to derailment: Greece-North Macedonia line closed for two months"},"content":{"rendered":"

What seemed like a somewhat easy locomotive recovery procedure led to a derailment which will keep the Skopje-Thessaloniki line, between Greece and North Macedonia, closed for two months. No injuries were reported but the line was significantly damaged. During this period, trains should be re-routed via Bulgaria.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>It started with a malfunctioning electric locomotive stranded in Idomeni, near the Greek border with North Macedonia. A diesel-powered train was sent to recover the stranded locomotive but, upon reaching Polykastro, roughly 20 kilometres south of Idomeni, the train derailed.<\/p>\n

The derailment occurred on the evening of Tuesday 11 February and was caused by issues with the electric vehicle, which exerted too much pressure on the line, according to first reports by Greek media. The result was that three kilometres of the Polykastro-Idomeni stretch were significantly damaged. Hellenic Railways, which managed the infrastructure is now investigating the incident, while works to restore the railway are already underway.<\/p>\n