Business · Companies · 4 hrs ago
Experts call for professional, less political management of Spain’s railways
Former rail executives and officials want less political influence over Renfe and Adif, Spain’s state-owned rail companies.
Their call comes after two fatal rail accidents this year that have killed at least 115 people and damaged confidence in the system.
The experts say the accidents do not mean Spain should abandon high-speed rail, which they describe as a success for connecting the country and building rail-related businesses.
They argue that planning, maintenance and management have not kept pace with the infrastructure and its demands.
They want rail management to be more professional and stable, with decisions less affected by day-to-day political influence.
The experts also call for immediate attention to safety, safety culture and the planning of infrastructure upkeep.
Their proposed priorities are stronger governance, safety and maintenance planning, but no specific government decision or timeline is given.
Former Spanish rail executives and transport officials are calling for less political interference and more professional management of the railway system.
They argue that the high-speed rail model should be improved rather than abandoned.
Their comments follow two deadly rail accidents this year that killed at least 115 people.
They say stable planning, safety and maintenance are needed to restore confidence and sustain the system.
- Who
- Former rail executives and transport officials, including Víctor Bañares, Julio Gómez-Pomar, Juan Alfaro and Berta Barrero.
- What
- They are calling for professional management and less political influence over Spain’s railways.
- When
- The article was published on 29 October 2026; the two accidents occurred this year.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- The railway system is facing a management and reputational crisis after two deadly accidents, and experts say political influence has hindered long-term planning.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Two rail accidents in Spain killed at least 115 people.
Expansión published experts’ calls for more professional, less political management of Spain’s railways.
- Accidents
- Two this year, with at least 115 deaths
- Rail operators
- Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo
- High-speed rail investment
- More than €60 billion since 1992
- Article publication
- 29 October 2026
What people are saying
The three operators, Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo, are operationally exemplary; the failure lies in not separating political power from corporate governance and management many years ago.
The origin of the crisis is forgetting that high-speed rail needs a stable planning and governance model that includes not only construction but also management, maintenance and conservation as major areas of action.
The debate should not focus on questioning the model, but on reflecting on how we have accompanied the development of our infrastructure with planning, management, operation and maintenance models capable of evolving at the same pace as the infrastructure itself and our society’s mobility needs.