Spanish train drivers strike after two deadly accidents
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on TimesLIVE
Spanish train drivers struck on Tuesday to demand more investment in maintenance and safety, after a second fatal rail accident this year. About 40% of long- and medium-distance services were cancelled, according to Renfe.
Spanish train drivers struck on Tuesday to demand greater investment in maintenance and safety of the rail network, after the second fatal rail accident of the year in Spain. According to Renfe, the state-owned operator, about 40% of long- and medium-distance services were cancelled, affecting 4,042 passengers.
In Madrid, 90% of commuter network services were cancelled, and 50% of local trains in Barcelona. In Leganés, near Madrid, passengers had to take buses to reach the city centre, according to Cercanías, the operator of commuter trains. The drivers' union Semaf says its members respected the minimum service quotas set by the government and blames the delays on poor management of scheduled trains.
The accidents concern the Madrid-Seville high-speed line, which has caused 115 deaths this year: 46 in a collision in southern Spain in January, then 69 last month. Transport Minister Óscar Puente has resigned; his deputy Carlos Cuerpo is acting in the role, according to the government of Pedro Sánchez. On Tuesday, the executive approved safety measures, including the creation of an ombudsman for victims of public transport accidents and better escalation of alerts from railway workers.
