After expressing condolences for the victims of the train accidents in Adamuz and Gelida, the platform considers it “essential to address the chaos generated by the poor state of the railway infrastructure,” which has forced track revisions and speed reductions on the Rodalies de Catalunya network, severely affecting thousands of users.
The entity recalls that the accident in Gelida, where a driver died, occurred on the Mediterranean Corridor’s third rail. This section is proven to be “highly vulnerable and lacking the necessary safety levels,” especially considering that the number of freight trains, some carrying dangerous goods, is expected to triple on this route in the coming years.
It is especially irresponsible to run dangerous goods trains on tracks that cross densely populated areas, combining this with passenger traffic.
According to the platform, the current solution of adding a third rail between Vila-seca and Castellbisbal without upgrading surrounding infrastructure (slopes, bridges, drainage) is “a very bad solution.” They warn that this combination will cause “the irremediable collapse of an already old and deteriorated track within a maximum period of five years,” as predicted by experts like those from FERRMED.
For all these reasons, Freight for the Interior demands the construction of an inland railway line intended exclusively for freight traffic and located away from populated areas. “The lives of people cannot be put at risk for one more day. Tarragona cannot wait one more day,” they concluded.
