The president of the commission investigating train accidents lashes out at Rodalies: "They have a lot of patience"

BarcelonaThe president of the Railway Accidents Investigation Commission (CIAF), Iñaki Barrón, on Monday lashed out at Rodalies' management in light of the accident in Gelida on January 20, in which a trainee driver died. Barrón said that this accident, in which a retaining wall of the AP-7 fell onto the tracks of the R4 line, could be the manifestation of a systemic problem. "It is not normal for a train to derail, for a wall to fall, for trees to fall on the tracks," he said, and assured that this accident is the result of "the quality" with which the Rodalies service is provided. the accident in Gelida on January 20, in which a trainee driver died. Barrón said that this accident, in which a retaining wall of the AP-7 fell onto the tracks of the R4 line, could be the manifestation of a systemic problem. "It is not normal for a train to derail, for a wall to fall, for trees to fall on the tracks," he said, and assured that this accident is the result of "the quality" with which the Rodalies service is provided.

Barrón appeared on Monday before the Senate commission investigating railway accidents following a proposal by the PP, which has a majority in the chamber and requested the attendance of the president of this independent body attached to the Ministry of Transport, responsible for the technical investigation of railway accidents. In addition to the accident in Gelida, the body is investigating the tragic accident in Adamuz (Córdoba) where 46 people died.

In response to the questions posed by ERC and Junts, Barrón stated that the Rodalies (commuter rail) network functions worse than the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (Catalan government railways). "I empathize with Catalonia's problem; they have a lot of patience," he said. He also insisted on the need for planning and rethinking governance. Barrón also commented on the governance of the state railway network, saying that Adif and Renfe should have continued to be a single company and that operators should participate in Adif's control, "from which they should never have left".

Barrón believes that in Catalonia there is a higher turnover of operational staff, both controllers and drivers, which leads to more new employees than in other communities. "I have nothing against the staff, but if there is a high turnover, it can have a significant impact on safety, and this needs to be taken care of," he added. Furthermore, he pointed out that the training of train drivers is not like that of pilots, "who are perfectly trained to face any situation".