Little more than 24 hours in four days has been open by train access from Asturias to the plateau. Last Friday were two wagons of goods those who derailed on the haystack ramp, breaking several sleepers and cutting access. The transport of goods was paralyzed and the passengers forced to make the journey from and to León by bus.
The situation is repeated more frequently than they would like machinists at the locomotive controls. In fact, the traffic was restored Saturday night and at dawn on Sunday an Argayo returned to cut off. This time the situation was more serious since the 60-year-old machinist was seriously injured by hitting the train that led at 5:45 in the leon direction against the rocks down to the route at the entrance of the Robledo tunnel, near bridge Of The Fierros.
"Infrastructure in this area is very deteriorated and lacking in maintenance. Investment is lacking for forgetfulness and leaving," they denounce from Semaf, the Spanish union of machinists and railway assistants, in telephone conversation with the world. They assure that the situation has been degraded in the last 12 years parallel to the construction of the high-speed tunnel that should have been operational for more than a decade, but that remains closed. "They have left forgotten the conventional route, which is still the route that makes several merchandise trains daily and also passengers, and every month there are incidents of this type," they add.
And after each incidence there is, at least, a period of cuts and delays that affect all the traffic that passes through that point. The machinist last Sunday was caught between the irons and had to be excated by the firefighters in a task that lasted for more train. He has several broken ribs and policontusions and is hospitalized, although according to Renfe, his life is not in danger. The convoy transported metal coils of great tonnage. Five wagons derailed and lost part of their burden.
Communications are therefore cut, without a opening date since it is a very complicated area to which any machinery can only be accessed by the same train tracks. Again the interrupted goods and the travelers of the Alvia by bus to and towards León.
Faced with this situation, which is repeated every time the weather conditions are adverse in Asturias and León the Renfe Company Committee returns to warn that the situation is "very worrying" on the Pajares ramp, a built infrastructure and 137 years ago That for some time "has barely maintenance," says Francisco Barros, president of the Renfe Company Committee in Asturias. "He wants to let her die because the idea is that it is replaced by the variant through which the high speed will circulate for which in Asturias there is no fixed date, but while, they regret from the Company Committee," You can not have it like this " .
Criticize that in the upcoming general budgets there is no "a single euro to this infrastructure" that is via communication with the plateau and by which great tonnage wagons circulate every day, and "what worries us more between eight and ten trains of passengers, "he insists. Barros.
"We can not say that there is no maintenance, but it is justito, and the problems come when a week raining or snow, something very common in the harbor of birds. The trees for the weight of the snow fall on the catenary or on the via".
They assure that they have been saying it and warning it to Adif. "As things continue like this there may be a misfortune, we are hanging around," says Barros.
To this situation is added that nearby they are not much better. In the last weekend there were numerous cuts, delays and train cancellations due to different incidents.
From ADIF allege that "they would never keep any line open if they supposed a risk for people or merchandise transit" and that while the high-speed tunnel is not operational "will do what is necessary for those routes and all the railway infrastructure of the area "Be in correct state." "Our task is to maintain all installations in correct exploitation conditions," responds from the manager to this newspaper.
On the last incident registered in the area of Pajares, operator sources explain that it is "in a complex orographic terrain" and that this has joined the "adverse climate" of the last days. However, they explain that "they will have to investigate why the detachment has occurred and, if necessary, if any corrective action must be taken."
Date Of Update: 29 November 2021, 22:24
