An examining magistrate and a prosecutor agreed that multiple counts of homicide as well as charges of causing bodily harm and endangering transportation safety should be brought against the railway employee.

At least 57 people, many of them in their teens and 20s, were killed when a northbound passenger train and a southbound freight train collided late last Tuesday north of the city of Larissa, in central Greece.

The 59-year-old stationmaster allegedly directed the two trains travelling in opposite directions onto the same track. He spent more than seven hours yesterday testifying about the events leading up to the crash before he was charged and ordered held.

“My client testified truthfully, without fearing if doing so would incriminate him,” said Stephanos Pantzartzidis, the stationmaster’s lawyer. “The decision (to jail him) was expected, given the importance of the case.”

Mr Pantzartzidis implied that others besides his client share blame, saying that judges should investigate whether more than one stationmaster should have been working in Larissa at the time of the collision.

“For 20 minutes, he was in charge of (train) safety in all central Greece,” the lawyer said of his client.

Greek media have reported that the automated signalling system in the area of the crash was not functioning, making the stationmaster’s mistake possible.

Yesterday, railway unions organised a protest rally in central Athens that turned violent. It was attended by about 12,000 people according to authorities.

Five people were arrested and seven police officers were injured when a group of more than 200 masked, black-clad individuals started throwing pieces of marble, rocks, bottles and firebombs at officers, who gave chase along a central avenue in the city while using tear gas and stun grenades.