The president of the Partido Popular and candidate of the party for the general elections on 29 November, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has demanded this Sunday that Adif’s executives return the bonuses they have collected. The Popular Party leader made this request during an election rally in Málaga, in which he questioned that those responsible for the public entity receive incentives after the Adamuz and Urda rail accidents.
«If they have an ounce of dignity, let them return them,» Feijóo said. The PP leader criticized that executives can be «rewarded» for the management of a railway network that, in his words, has become «an international embarrassment» after the latest incidents.
The statement comes after it emerged that Adif had renewed its incentive plan for the management. The agreement includes linking part of the variable pay of those responsible for the public company to compliance with objectives related to operations, investment, and the provision of the service.
Adif renewed the incentive plan for its top management
The renewal of the bonus system was approved by Adif’s board of directors on 3 November, according to the information published by El Mundo. The extraordinary meeting was convened by the then president of the entity, Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña, who submitted his resignation the same day.
The new agreement gives continuity to the incentive plan applied during the 2021-2025 period and establishes that the variable pay of management will be linked to different management objectives. Among them are operating results, investments, and other targets related to the provision of the service.
According to the information published by La Voz de Galicia, Adif’s management committee received remuneration of 1.2 million euros in 2025. The renewal of the plan has sparked criticism for occurring in a context marked by rail accidents and by investigations opened to clarify their causes.
Feijóo promises to review the rail network
During his speech in Málaga, the PP president also promised that, if he reaches government, he will review «every sleeper, one by one» of the Spanish rail network.
The request for a refund of the bonuses adds to Feijóo’s criticisms of the Executive over its handling of the accidents in Adamuz and Urda and over the decisions adopted at the top of Adif after the incidents.
The controversy over the incentives arises while the technical and judicial investigations into both accidents continue. In the case of Adamuz, the authority in charge of the investigation has already warned that it will not be able to complete the final report within the initial period of twelve months due to the complexity of the case.