The Spanish government approves a €20 million compensation plan for Adamuz

MadridThe Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has announced a new decree-law to expedite compensation payments for victims of train accidents. At the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, he assured that the families of the deceased, as well as those injured, must be able to count on the necessary financial support immediately. In this regard, he announced a plan of up to 20 million euros for the Adamuz tragedy. He explained that under the new law, the families of a fatality would immediately receive 72,000 euros as a non-refundable grant from the State, another 72,000 euros as an advance from civil liability insurance, and subsequently another 72,000 euros. In other words, according to Puente, within three months, the families of fatalities could receive up to 210,000 euros. "We will not allow a repeat of Angrois; they will not wait ten years to receive compensation," he said regarding the train tragedy in Galicia. The minister boasted of his "transparency" and his willingness to "face the music," contrasting it precisely with the actions of the PP government following the Angrois accident. "I'm not hiding away; I'm facing the music," he declared, alluding to the role of the Valencian president, Carlos Mazón, during the DANA storm. Puente sought to defend the "safety" of the Spanish railway system, while also expressing understanding for the "fear." "The best guarantee for the victims to know the truth is this minister," he asserted. However, he declined to comment on the progress of the investigation being led by the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF), which has focused on the track welding in the Adamuz section.

The minister downplayed the fact that there were both new and old sections of track, and also expressed reluctance to allow the president of the CIAF (Railway Accident Investigation Commission), Ignacio Barrón, to publicly comment on the progress of the investigation. "Then it forces me to enter into the public debate on matters where we shouldn't be," he said, asserting that "the non-renewal of some sections of track is irrelevant to the accident in question. There's nothing unusual about welding rails from different eras together." The minister's statements come just after yesterday Barron He said that his investigation focused precisely on the welding failure and also questioned Adif's decision to renew the Andalusian high-speed rail line in sections rather than completely.