Puente defends Madrid-Seville railway as opposition demands prevention, not explanations

The parliamentary exchange centers on investment and ministerial responsibility after the deadly Urda train crash.

Channel: EL PAÍS ·

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Puente sobre la línea Madrid - Sevilla: "No es una infraestructura abandonada ni olvidada" #shorts

Óscar Puente defended the upkeep of Spain's Madrid-Seville high-speed railway in Parliament on Tuesday, citing a €780 million renewal plan. Ester Muñoz, the opposition People's Party spokesperson, answered that his job was to prevent fatal accidents, not explain them afterward.

The exchange, published by Spain's newspaper EL PAÍS, captures Puente's defense of the railway before his resignation as transport minister. He rejected the description of the line as abandoned or forgotten, pointing to the government's investment in infrastructure that entered service in 1992.

Muñoz challenged the distinction between giving explanations and accepting responsibility. Repeated parliamentary appearances and press conferences, she argued, were not enough to answer for failures in railway safety. Her closing criticism addressed both Puente and the prime minister.

The backdrop is the crash at Urda, in Toledo province. The newspaper reports that it killed 69 people and injured around 200, with 40 still hospitalized. In its accompanying account, it says Puente told Parliament that Adif's Atocha control center authorized the AVE train involved to resume normal running after the LZB safety system failed, despite an Iryo train stopped farther ahead. That account does not establish the cause of the crash.

Adif manages most of Spain's railway infrastructure, including tracks, signaling and stations. The newspaper also reports that its works council agreed to a railway-safety strike on November 17, although the strike had not yet been formally called.