In brief
Starting Monday, Spanish train drivers will initiate a three-day strike to voice concerns over safety protocols after fatal train accidents early this month in Adamuz and near Barcelona. The drivers' union demands increased staffing and investment to ensure rail network safety, amidst critiques of the government’s rail infrastructure investment.
Train drivers in Spain are due to begin a three-day nationwide strike on Monday in protest of what they say is a lack of safety guarantees on the country's rail system.
The action follows two fatal train crashes in January, one in Adamuz in the country's southern region, which killed 46 people, and the second just two days later near Barcelona where a train driver died and dozens were injured.
The accidents have caused severe disruption for travelers and cast doubt on Spain's much-vaunted rail system. Semaf, the train drivers' union, is demanding the hiring of more staff and increased investment and maintenance in what it has described as the constant deterioration of the rail network.
Following the two collisions, subsequent safety checks revealed faults and maintenance issues on several routes. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to face questioning in parliament regarding these rail system failures.
The accident in Adamuz on January 18 marked the country's worst rail disaster in more than a decade. A preliminary report by the rail accident investigation commission found that grooves on the wheels of the derailed train indicated a fracture in the track occurred prior to the incident.
Just two days later, a trainee driver was killed and at least 37 passengers were injured when a collapsed wall caused another train to derail in Catalonia.
Semaf has emphasized that these collisions signify a crucial point in demanding comprehensive safety measures for railway operations. In response to scrutiny over investment levels in rail network maintenance, the government highlighted that around €700m has been channeled into updating the Madrid-Andalusia line, which includes the section where the Adamuz accident occurred.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente asserted that the issues at hand do not relate to a lack of maintenance, infrastructure obsolescence, or insufficient funding.
