Spanish Transport Ministry Considers Closing Madrid-Barcelona Rail Line for Upgrades

The Spanish Ministry of Transport is evaluating the possibility of completely shutting down the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Barcelona during upcoming modernization work. Transport Minister Óscar Puente addressed the measure on Friday, explaining that while no definitive choice has been made, adopting a total closure model similar to Germany's could significantly shorten the duration of necessary renovations from five years down to less than 24 or even 12 months.

The consideration of closing the vital transport corridor comes in the wake of a tragic train accident in Urda, Toledo, which resulted in 69 fatalities and over a hundred injuries. The disaster occurred when an AVE train collided with an Iryo train after the control center authorized the former to continue traveling at normal speed despite system indicators showing the track ahead was occupied. Forensic teams have completed 65 autopsias, and authorities have notified families of 12 identifications as rescue operations conclude.

During a press conference, Puente defended transparency efforts regarding the crash and denied blaming individual workers, emphasizing that he was merely presenting factual evidence and scientific data. He noted that the safety system known as LZB experienced 150 to 200 system drops annually, with 75 percent attributed to external factors such as vandalism, weather damage, or cable theft. Furthermore, he mentioned that a new safety system, ERTMS, is slated to become operational in early 2027.

The tragedy has intensified debate surrounding labor conditions and workload pressures within Adif's traffic regulation centers. Labor unions, including CCOO, UGT, and SEMAF, have strongly criticized the government for allegedly placing blame on operational staff, pointing instead to increased workloads, staff shortages, and heavy external pressures from multiple operators competing on Spain's high-speed rail network since the end of Renfe's monopoly.

Political fallout from the accident continues to mount. Opposition leaders, including representatives from the Popular Party and Vox, have demanded the resignation of Minister Puente, pointing to the severity of the crisis following two major high-speed rail accidents in less than ten months. Meanwhile, Puente has confirmed he will appear before the Congress Permanent Delegation next Tuesday to provide further explanations regarding the disaster.

As forensic teams finalize sweeps of the disaster zone and emergency response levels are scaled back, the judicial investigation led by the courts in Orgaz moves forward. The Superior Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha has implemented judicial reinforcements to expedite the legal proceedings, death registrations, and burial licenses associated with the victims of the Urda rail catastrophe.