300 applications for six positions: The profession of train driver is in demand in Greece

Of Foti Fotinos

The railway in Greece may have small market shares, both in passenger and freight transport, but it shows remarkable growth prospects.

It is indicative that, in 2019 (before the pandemic), Greece recorded the highest increase in rail freight transport in the EU at 20.2%, followed by Croatia at 13.9%.

Several companies are active in Greece and in freight rail transport, such as the Italian Hellenic Train, the Greek-Austrian Rail Cargo Logistics Goldair, the Romanian GFR and the Chinese-Greek PEARL.

The latter proceeded, a few days ago, to the call for expressions of interest to fill 6 positions of candidate freight train drivers, who, after the training they will receive at the company’s expense and care, will staff its offices in Athens and Thessaloniki.

In the previous call for interest to fill 6 places again, there were more than 300 applicants. Now, applications have exceeded 100, with the deadline for completing the process set at the end of July.

PEARL (in 2020 the company’s revenue reached 45 million) provides freight forwarding, rail transit and logistics services, centered in Piraeus, with subsidiaries in several neighboring countries (Bulgaria, Serbia, Skopje).

The company, at present, has no locomotives of its own, but has proceeded and is proceeding to train drivers, which predetermines, to some extent, its future movements, if much will depend on the time of completion of the railway network, and the depth of its cooperation with Hellenic Train.

Hellenic Train is also strengthening its presence in goods

Accordingly, Hellenic Train (formerly TRAINOSE) is estimated to have recruited more than 170 train drivers since it acquired TRAINOSE.

And Hellenic Train appears to have redefined its strategy, now placing more emphasis on freight transport, as evidenced by CEO Maurizio Capotorto’s speech at its rebranding event.

Mr. Caportos referred to Hellenic Train’s intention to strengthen its competitiveness in freight transport, in cooperation with the two main ports of Greece, Piraeus and Thessaloniki.

“Revenues from logistics services show an increase of close to 10% in recent years and we predict that the annual increase will soon reach 20%”, underlined the managing director of Hellenic Train, which submitted, a few days ago, a binding offer for the exploitation of Triasio II, revealing its intentions to expand into storage and logistics services.