Spain announced a 20 million euro compensation package on Tuesday for victims of the high-speed train derailment near Adamuz that occurred on January 18 and resulted in 45 fatalities and more than 150 injuries, Transport Minister Oscar Puente said.
The accident - one of the deadliest recent train crashes in Europe and the country’s worst since 2013 - has prompted the government to move quickly to provide financial relief to victims and their families.
Under the plan announced by the minister, each family of those killed will receive 216,000 euros within no more than three months. That total comprises three elements of 72,000 euros each: a tax-exempt government aid payment of 72,000 euros, an advance insurance payment of 72,000 euros, and a further 72,000 euros covered by mandatory travel insurance for passengers.
Payments to those who sustained injuries in the crash will vary, with amounts ranging from 2,400 euros to 84,000 euros, Puente said.
"We know that ordinary procedures and legal timelines do not always respond to the vital urgency of a tragedy like this,"
Puente said, adding that victims could not be expected to wait years for support.
"Economic uncertainty cannot be compounded on top of the emotional pain,"he added.
The transport minister has faced mounting public pressure since the Adamuz derailment and other rail incidents that week, which included the death of a train driver in Catalonia and two additional accidents that did not result in fatalities. The main opposition party, the People’s Party, has called for his resignation.
Asked about his position, Puente told reporters he had a calm conscience, saying he was carrying out his duties to the best of his abilities and striving to communicate all available information to citizens.
Service disruptions on Catalonia’s Rodalies commuter rail network also occurred last week after numerous drivers refused to work citing safety concerns, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. On Monday, a software failure brought down the network’s train traffic control centre, compounding operational problems.
The government noted the exchange rate at the time as $1 = 0.8407 euros.
The measures are aimed at delivering prompt financial assistance to those most affected by the crash while authorities and rail operators contend with operational and safety challenges across parts of the national rail network.