In brief
Following the discovery of a crack in the track between Alcover and l'Espluga de Francolí, Spanish transport authorities have reduced the speed limit to 80 km/h on a key high-speed line. This measure is part of ongoing safety assessments after a deadly crash earlier this month that raised serious concerns about rail safety in Spain. Local services in Catalonia remain disrupted, with transport officials indicating the fault does not pose an immediate danger to train operations.
Spanish rail authorities have temporarily reduced the speed limit on part of the high-speed line between Madrid and Barcelona after a fault was detected on the track.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente stated that a crack was found on Sunday night in the line 110km (68 miles) west of Barcelona, between Alcover and l'Espluga de Francolí, in the Catalonia region.
This announcement follows a tragic high-speed collision earlier this month in southern Spain that resulted in the loss of 45 lives and significant disruptions to local rail services in the northeast of the country.
The transport ministry assured that the fault discovered did not pose a danger to trains traveling along the affected section, which will now operate at a reduced limit of 80 km/h (50 mph). High-speed trains typically travel at speeds up to 300 km/h on this crucial route.
In the past week, the speed limit had already been reduced to 230 km/h on several sections of the line after reports of vibrations and anomalies before being restored after technical checks.
In addition, certain sections of the Madrid-Valencia line have also seen temporary speed reductions to between 160 km/h and 200 km/h.
The ongoing investigation into the recent high-speed crash has raised serious concerns regarding rail safety, especially as authorities examine a broken section of track that had been welded onto an older component.
Meanwhile, the local Rodalies rail service in Catalonia is facing continued disruptions, with recent incidents leading to further service suspensions. Two separate cases were reported as the service partially resumed operations later in the day. The government is exploring all potential causes, including cyberattacks.
Opposition parties are calling for the resignation of Transport Minister Puente, citing alleged public misinformation following the tragic accident.
