Greece’s state railway company OSE is close to finalizing an agreement with German rail operator Deutsche Bahn for a comprehensive five-year modernization program, marking the largest transformation effort in the country’s railway history.
The Infrastructure and Transport Ministry and OSE are in advanced negotiations with Deutsche Bahn to serve as technical manager for the Greek railway system.
The initiative supports Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ goal of completely restructuring the national rail network.
Alternate Infrastructure and Transport Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis has led discussions with several European rail operators, including France’s SNCF, Switzerland’s SBB and Germany’s DB. Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato and Spain’s Adif also expressed interest. The German proposal appears most comprehensive technically and economically.
The technical manager role encompasses designing and implementing the organizational, operational and technological transformation of OSE.
The program will establish a strategic framework connecting network readiness with national and European transport priorities while enhancing utilization of European funding mechanisms, currently underused.
The initiative focuses on five areas: strategic development of the 2,000-kilometer rail network, expanding connections to ports, borders and industrial zones; transferring German expertise for integrated safety procedures and risk management; training front-line OSE staff on daily operations and emergency protocols; implementing predictive maintenance using artificial intelligence and smart monitoring systems; and placing 30 experienced Deutsche Bahn executives in key positions through a “twinning” model ensuring knowledge transfer.
Deutsche Bahn has issued an internal call for interest, generating significant response from personnel seeking Athens transfers, particularly Greek professionals working in Germany who wish to contribute to modernizing the Greek railway system.
The project centers on creating a new railway culture emphasizing safety, accountability, technological upgrades, effective project management and system internationalization. German railway officials have visited Athens three times to study complete the renovation of OSE’s Railway Academy, including modern staff training programs, simulators for engineers and stationmasters, and adoption of international certification standards.
The comprehensive plan aims to serve as a European pilot program for strategic railway infrastructure transformation, combining German expertise with Greek ambition for a safer, more interoperable and reliable railway future.
