The scandal of the narrow-gauge trains in Asturias and Cantabria has resulted in the resignation of the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Isabel Pardo de Vera, and the president of Renfe, Isaías Taboas.
After discovering that the manufacture of the 31 metric gauge trains awarded by Renfe to CAF in 2020 to replace the fleet that provides Cercanías and Media Distancia services in Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Galicia, Castilla y León and Murcia, was going to be delayed due to a problem in their design, the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, has accepted both resignations while conveying her appreciation and gratitude to both for the work carried out in their respective positions.
The two resignations followed news that the new trains, costing 200 million euros, were too large to go through the tunnels of the railway networks in Cantabria and Asturias, an error that will cause a two-year delay in the project.
There is an open investigation to try to clarify responsibilities for the error that will delay the commissioning of the trains until 2026. The blame could fall on the State Agency for Railway Safety (AESF), Renfe or Adif.
