Two resignations for one “fiasco” : in Spain, a case of trains too big for certain tunnels brought down the boss of the railways and the number two of the transport ministry. At the head of the Renfe railway company since June 2018, Isaias Taboas presented his resignation on Monday February 20, a spokeswoman for the company told Agence France-Presse (AFP). This announcement comes in addition to that in the same direction of the Secretary of State for Transport, Isabel Pardo de Vera, confirmed the ministry in a press release.
These resignations are linked to the order of 31 trains for the rail network in the north of the country. Before they were built, it was realized that they would be too big for some of the tunnels they had to pass through. This order, worth 258 million euros, was awarded following a call for tenders in June 2020 to the Spanish manufacturer of railway equipment CAF, competitor of the French Alstom and the German Siemens, according to Renfe.
“No money was wasted”
According to the rail operator, it was this company, headquartered in the Basque Country, which noticed in March 2021 that the dimensions provided during the call for tenders were incorrect. She then alerted the authorities even before starting production. “There was never any risk that the wrong size trains would be built because the manufacturer had the obligation, defined in the tender documents”to carry out checks, assured Renfe to AFP.
This error made public at the beginning of February, almost two years after the detection of the problem, will nevertheless lead to delays in the delivery of the trains, which should be put into circulation in 2026 and not in 2024 as planned, according to the railway group. According to Spanish media, it could also lead to additional costs due to rising material prices. “There is no financial problem, no money was wasted”retorts Renfe.
The case sparked heated controversy in Spain, where the right-wing opposition accused the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of “guilty concealment” and D’“opacity” less than a year from the legislative elections scheduled for the end of 2023. The number two of the Popular Party (PP, right), Cuca Gamarra, deplored a “fiasco”.
“I reiterate my apologies”
This controversy had already led the Ministry of Transport to dismiss from office, on February 6, the former head of equipment management at Renfe and a senior official from ADIF, the manager of the rail network. She also urged ADIF and Renfe to open a joint investigation to understand what the Minister of Transport described as “gross mistake”.
The president of the Cantabria region, Miguel Angel Revilla (PRC regionalist party), claimed on Monday ” a compensation “ for its territory directly affected by this erroneous train order. “We would like clarification” the circumstances of the incident and that “Solutions are put on the table”added Adrian Barbon, socialist president of the Asturias region, also affected, on Monday before a meeting at the ministry.
“I reiterate my apologies but I also insist on the fact that we are working and that we are working to implement the solutions”underlined the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sanchez, at the end of this meeting.