The Railway Traffic Union (SCF) has expressed its regret because the serious rail accident in Urda (Toledo) has been the trigger for the Ministry of Transport to begin considering the demands that it has been raising for years with Adif, the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF), and the department itself. Among these demands are clear limits on maximum activity times, adequate ongoing training, and correcting the current shortage of personnel.
"Such a great tragedy had to happen for the minister, in his appearance and while waiting for the announced measures to be specified, to have taken into account the issues that SCF has been demanding repeatedly from Adif, the AESF and the Ministry," the trade union organization lamented in a statement.
The SCF has reminded that one of its requests is the modification of Article 38 of RD 929/2020 relating to "Maximum traffic control activity times," along with improving ongoing training and covering existing vacancies.
"We will be watching closely to see how this is implemented in real terms and that it does not remain as written promises on paper," the union has reiterated, calling for the announcements to translate into effective changes in the rail network.
The Railway Traffic Union has detailed that the Madrid–Seville High-Speed line was inaugurated in 1992 with capacity intended for a specific volume of trains, but traffic has been increasing continuously.
"At present, the saturation of trains in the section of the accident was brutal during rush hours. To this situation has been added the liberalization of rail passenger transport, moving from a single operator, Renfe, to three: Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo," the union said, linking this additional pressure to the current state of the infrastructure.
In the technological sphere, the SCF has indicated that, although the LZB system is considered safe, the concern lies in its reliability, since the "multiple breakdowns make us have to intervene on too many occasions." This is added to the age of this equipment, which makes it difficult to maintain it under optimal conditions due to the obsolescence of many of its components.
For this reason, the union considers it essential to identify responsibilities for the delay in implementing the ERTMS system, which, in its view, "should already be finished," and for the absence of procedures adapted to the current reality. "These must take into account the real and current operating conditions and the situation of stress and the high workload that is generated when systems fail," it has stated.
Lack of staff, resizing positions and generational turnover
Regarding the organization of work, the SCF has explained that, at this time, there are three positions responsible for managing the Madrid-Sevilla line. For this reason, it calls for a rigorous analysis to determine which positions require permanent support, both in normal operating situations and in degraded scenarios, and to address the shortage of staff that prevents ensuring adequate rest for all workers.
The union has also warned of the impact of generational turnover and the loss of experience associated with it. As it recalls, the SCF has been sounding the alarm for decades that this situation would arrive, but it believes that "Adif has been late" in planning and strengthening the teams.
Finally, the organization has shown its rejection of the growing contracting of external services, including in matters linked to rail traffic safety. In its view, this area cannot be cut back with the aim of improving the profitability of private subcontracting companies. The SCF states that it has reported all the cases of which it has had knowledge when they have affected safety in rail traffic.