Bridge, over the train network: "It's not a teapot. It won't be fixed in two days."

MadridTime. This is the factor that will now determine the recovery of normal rail service in Spain, and particularly in Catalonia, where the commuter rail network has been mired in chaos for days. This was the point made by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, during his appearance before Congress this Tuesday: "The rail network isn't like a teapot. It can't be fixed in two days," Puente stated. Just five days after appearing before the Senate regarding the Adamuz (Córdoba) train accident and the tragic fatal accident in Gelida, he repeated the procedure in the Spanish lower house. Again, Puente appeared at his own request and that of the parliamentary groups. Right from the start, the minister took the opportunity to boast about facing the public and providing explanations during this rail crisis. He also apologized to commuter rail users: "I offer my sincerest apologies." Despite demands from the right wing and the independence movement, he asserted that he would not resign.

Tuesday's appearance coincided with Another morning of failures on the Catalan network —both on the commuter rail network and on the Barcelona-Madrid high-speed line—, but it has also coincided with a political announcement regarding the management of the service in Catalonia: the Secretary of State for Transport and Puente's second-in-command, José Antonio Santano has announced that he is moving to Barcelona. to personally oversee the response to the rail problems in the Principality and ensure the service is restored as soon as possible. In this regard, Puente emphasized that since the problems began, an operation involving more than 300 people has been deployed to resolve the numerous incidents.

The Minister of Transport, who again acknowledged the chronic neglect of the Catalan rail network—blaming previous PP governments—and which the Spanish government claims to be reversing—Puente estimates an additional €2.24 billion investment in commuter rail over the coming years—outlined a "renewal, but also improved provision of rail service [...] There isn't a single commuter rail line where there aren't one or two projects underway or pending," the minister said, thus explaining part of the current chaos. In this context, Puente affirmed that passenger "safety" is paramount. In fact, he reiterated that the rail system in Spain is "very safe," with a risk "close to zero."

Uncertain reopening in Andalusia

Regarding the tragic train accident in Córdoba, which resulted in the deaths of 46 people and injuries to many others, Puente indicated that the investigation is ongoing and that the next steps involve sending samples of the damaged rail to a metallurgical laboratory to determine the possible causes of the infrastructure failure. "No hypothesis is being ruled out," Puente stated. In the case of the affected Andalusian line, the minister declined to commit to a reopening timeline due to the extent of the infrastructure damage. Adding to the problems stemming from the tragedy three weeks ago, Tuesday saw an incident on the conventional line between Seville and Córdoba caused by cable theft, which affected the signaling system but was resolved a few hours later.