The Catalan independence movement criticizes the state's handling of the commuter rail collapse

BarcelonaTwo commuter train accidents, one of them involving One dead and about forty injuredThese delays have brought the service to a complete standstill in Catalonia. This has unleashed a barrage of political reactions, with the pro-independence movement harshly criticizing the central government's management of railway infrastructure. Junts, ERC, and the CUP reiterated their list of grievances regarding the lack of investment and maintenance, while the transfer of the commuter rail network to the central government resurfaced as a top priority, although this has led to clashes between the Republicans and Junts, as Carles Puigdemont's party considers Oriol Junqueras's agreement on this matter invalid. Meanwhile, the central government has called for a reduction in travel. Junts declared "enough" this Wednesday, citing "constant delays, overcrowded trains, breakdowns, excuses, and accidents," and went further: from the outset, they demanded the urgent appearance of the Catalan Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, before the Catalan Parliament, and the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, before the Spanish Congress. The reason is "the commuter rail crisis, the mismanagement of the railway crisis, and the collapse of infrastructure in Catalonia." Mid-morning, Paneque, along with the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, announced their intention to appear before Parliament on their own initiative. The members of the Catalan Parliament argue that "an accident is always a possibility, but the probability of it occurring is much higher when there is a disastrous commuter rail service," as parliamentary spokesperson Salvador Vergés stated at a press conference. In fact, he pointed out that the Principality is "a victim of decades of disinvestment" and "poor service" and maintenance. Furthermore, he emphasized the conclusive point that "Catalonia's dependence on the State leads to this situation" and that the investment deficit and "fiscal plundering" contribute to it.

Vergés didn't stop there and demanded that the Catalan and Spanish executives assume "responsibilities," including those of Adif, and insisted on making effective the resignation request that the Catalan parliament had already approved. Councilor Paneque because "the mandate remains in effect"With one eye on Minister Puente, he recalled that "he boasted that the AVE high-speed train would travel at 350 km/h" and "it will have to go at 160," with a correction made right after... the accident in the Cordoba town of Adamuz.

Picapela

But the battle between Junts and ERC has taken a new turn: "We demand a genuine transfer of the commuter rail service, not this fraudulent transfer," said Vergés, referring to the agreement reached by the Republicans. She reminded everyone that Renfe holds the majority stake in the new joint venture with the Catalan government. Meanwhile, ERC's general secretary, Elisenda Alamany, lashed out at Junts' "complaint" about the poor train service, adding: "Generally speaking, it would be good if people stopped (just) 'complaining' and started doing something." Similarly, the Republican leader, Oriol Junqueras, lamented the long-standing "lack of investment" by the central government and reiterated the need for the transfer to go ahead. "Accidents caused by natural causes are uncontrollable, but the lack of investment and the State's neglect of the commuter rail service in Catalonia is what has led to the entire service being shut down today due to fear, mistrust, and the company's own inability to guarantee the safety of workers and passengers," he explained. "The transfer of the commuter rail service is a national necessity, the only solution on the table," Junqueras emphasized. The CUP also stressed that "the precarious state of the railway infrastructure has serious safety consequences" that cannot be "accepted." The reason? "Underfunding and disinvestment." Anti-capitalist MP Dani Cornellà emphasized that "it's not just an accident," but rather that "it stems from the structural lack of maintenance of the railway network by Adif and the complete lack of criticism of Adif by Minister Paneque." In his opinion, the government is "normalizing shutting down the country." With "adequate" maintenance and the necessary investments, he maintained that the accident would have been "avoidable." He has also requested the appearance of Paneque; the Adif representative in Catalonia, Àngel Contreras; and the president of the same company, Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña. He also commented that "it makes no sense to shut down the country to see if there are more incidents" with the current state of the service and announced that they will demand "accountability and resignations."

In contrast, the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, acting as interim president for Salvador Illa's illnessHe appealed for understanding: "Whenever possible, we try to reduce travel," he stated in a post on X, thanking citizens for their cooperation.