Embarrassing: Bahn ordered 31 trains that didn’t fit in the tunnel

The president of the Spanish railway company Renfe and a member of the government are caught up in an embarrassing case. The railway has ordered 31 trains with a total value of 258 million euros, which is too large for some of the tunnels in the intended work area in the north of the country.

Nearly three weeks after the scandal was revealed, Renfe’s president Isaias Tapuas resigned on Monday, according to state television. RTVE mentioned. The Secretary of State in the Ministry of Transport, Isabelle Pardot, also made her position available.

delay of two years

She said Transport Minister Raquel Sanchez accepted both resignations, citing the government in Madrid. According to the authorities, the error will delay the operation of the new trains by at least two years, until 2026. The prime ministers of the affected regions of Cantabria and Asturias wanted to meet with Sanchez in Madrid late Monday afternoon to negotiate financial compensation.

Although the order was already made in 2020, the Spanish train disaster was only caused by a report in the regional newspaper at the end of January. El Comercio to the light. The central government has since admitted the error, but maintains that the taxpayers suffered no financial harm because the trains, which were very extensive, had not yet been built. After various warnings, the entire production process eventually came to a halt. Madrid published the new order to transfer the CAF manufacturer on Saturday.

Network renewal

The new trains are intended to replace the aging fleet from areas not well connected to the national rail network. The railway network in Cantabria and Asturias dates back mainly to the 19th century and stretches through a mountainous landscape. The tunnels in the two areas are still of different dimensions, which do not always comply with modern railway standards in Spain.