Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez vowed Wednesday that justice would be done following two train accidents that claimed 47 lives last month, and insisted the country’s rail system “is safe”.
The back-to-back disasters in January shocked the country and raised doubts about the safety of train travel in Spain, which boasts one of the world’s most extensive high-speed rail networks.
“The entire state is doing -- and will continue to do -- everything possible to support the injured and the victims’ families, clarify the causes of the accident, and, if necessary, ensure justice is done,” Sanchez told parliament.
Spain’s rail system “is not perfect, but it is safe”, he added, vowing to take all necessary measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Shock hit the rail sector after a collision between two high-speed trains in the southern region of Andalusia on January 18 resulted in the death of 46 people -- one of Europe’s deadliest such disasters this century.
Two days later, a commuter train in the Barcelona region ploughed into the rubble of a collapsed wall following heavy rain, killing the driver and injuring dozens.
The government reached a deal with railway unions on Monday to invest 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion) to improve maintenance, create 3,650 jobs, and strengthen public rail safety.
The agreement prompted unions to call off a three-day strike.
The conservative opposition has called for Sanchez’s resignation, blaming the accidents on underinvestment in maintenance and understaffing.
Popular Party (PP) chief Alberto Nunez Feijoo accused the government in parliament of having “played Russian roulette with our safety”.
He said the accident in Andalusia was “preventable, not an unforeseeable catastrophe” and blasted the government for not apologising and “taking responsibility”.
The head of far-right Vox, Santiago Abascal, called it “a crime and not just an accident”.
“A crime that will weigh on your consciences and for which I hope you will answer before the courts,” he added.
A preliminary report suggested the track may have been cracked before the catastrophe in Andalusia.
Concerns over Spain’s rail network come as Sanchez faces several corruption scandals in his inner circle that have weakened his fragile minority coalition.
His Socialists suffered a heavy defeat in a regional election in Aragon on Sunday, following their worst-ever regional result in their former stronghold, Extremadura, in December.
In both elections the PP came on top while Vox made huge gains.
Private operators began running passenger trains in Spain in 2021 following the liberalisation of the rail sector, ending Renfe’s decades-long monopoly.
Since then, passenger numbers on some routes have grown noticeably, but the unions say investment in maintenance has not kept up.
But Sanchez said his government had nearly tripled investment in railway infrastructure since it came to power in 2018.
He accused the previous PP government of underinvestment in the national rail network which he said carries over 12 million passengers each week.
“There is still work to be done, without a doubt, and much to improve,” Sanchez told lawmakers.
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