Transport Minister Óscar Puente has said the government is considering cutting the Madrid-Barcelona AVE high-speed rail line for two years, according to La Sexta Barcelona on Friday 30th October. The potential measure would affect passengers using the rail connection between Spain's two largest cities.
Puente made the statement during an appearance on the train collision near Urda, in the province of Toledo. La Sexta Barcelona reported a death toll of 69 people in its live coverage, while rescue and investigation work continued.
“There was sufficient time, many kilometres in which the AVE could have been stopped,” Puente said, according to La Sexta Barcelona.
Asked why the train was not stopped, the minister said he did not know. The report said Puente also rejected calls for his resignation, saying that his duty was to address the problem rather than step aside.
Rescuers describe search inside overturned carriage
La Sexta Barcelona also published the account of Salvador, a member of Toledo's public-safety unit who took part in the rescue operation on Wednesday. He said the Iryo train was hit by the AVE in carriage eight, its final carriage, which was left overturned below an embankment.
Salvador told La Sexta Barcelona that rescuers initially could not see the full scale of the damage from outside. Inside the carriage, he said, there was silence until they heard a woman shouting for help.
“We got her out alive and talking,” Salvador told La Sexta Barcelona. “There was so much inside that carriage that we could not see her.”
For passengers planning to use the Madrid-Barcelona AVE route, Puente's remarks concern a possibility under consideration rather than a confirmed closure. Travellers should check the service information issued by their train operator before travelling.
What it means for you
- When: The renovation will begin at the beginning of 2027.
- Where: The Madrid, Zaragoza and Barcelona high-speed rail corridor is affected.
Sources: La Sexta Barcelona.
