The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers and Assistants (Semaf) has conveyed its sorrow and condolences over the serious accident that occurred on the Madrid-Seville High Speed line, following the collision between a Renfe train and another from Iryo, and has ratified that it will go ahead with the strike day at Renfe scheduled for this Thursday, October 29.
In a statement, the union organization has indicated that the entire entity is "highly distressed" by the crash recorded early in the morning. However, it has specified that for the moment the real extent of the accident is still unknown and that no specific data are available on the drivers who were in the cab of the Renfe train.
Semaf has called for maximum prudence when assessing the possible causes of the collision until the facts are precisely clarified and official information is available, in order to avoid conjecture. In its view, the unavoidable priority at this time is to attend to the victims and accompany their loved ones.
In parallel, the union has reiterated to its membership that the strike call for October 29 remains in place, raised in defense of railway safety and to demand that the commitments made with a view to driving a structural change in this area are fulfilled.
Likewise, the representation of the drivers has informed the rest of the professionals in the sector that it is analyzing the launch of new actions and complementary measures aimed at strengthening safety conditions throughout the railway network.
Lastly, the union organization has sent an explicit message to the driving collective to ask them to intensify precautionary measures in the daily performance of their operational tasks, while progress is made in gathering data and additional information can be provided on the evolution of the situation.