“Podríamos y deberíamos hacer más”: los expertos piden invertir en el mantenimiento de la alta velocidad

The tragic rail accident on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line, marking the second incident of the year, has once again brought attention to the maintenance of Spain's high-speed railway network. With the number of fatalities and injuries still unaccounted for and the circumstances of the incident yet to be fully understood, engineers and academics are calling for a review of the network's management.

This network has seen its traffic multiply while upkeep has been pushed to the background: Spain has chosen to build new kilometers of high-speed rail rather than ensure the stability of existing tracks, signaling systems, and systems in operational corridors, agree several consulted experts.

Between 2018 and 2022, Spain allocated around €240 million per year to maintaining its high-speed network, which represents 16% of its spending on it; the remaining €1,240 million was directed towards new construction, according to the European Commission. In contrast, France and Germany allocate roughly a third of their total spending to maintaining, renovating, and improving existing lines.