The boss of Spain’s state rail operator Renfe and the country’s secretary of state for transport resigned on Monday after an outcry over the procurement of trains that are too wide to fit through tunnels.
The resignations of Isaias Taboas, who has headed Renfe since June 2018, and Isabel Pardo, bring the total number of people who have lost their jobs because of the scandal to four.
The resignations were announced just ahead of Transport Minister Raquel Sanchez’s meeting on Monday with the presidents of the northern regions of Asturias and Cantabria to explain how the errors in measurements came about.
The error results in a two-year delay in the manufacturing process.
Asturias and Cantabria among the affected regions
Earlier this month it was announced that the production of 258 million euros ($275 million) metric-gauge trains that Renfe has contracted out to company CAF in 2020 would be delayed due to a design issue.
The trains should renew the fleet of short and medium-distance services in several regions, such as Asturias and Cantabria in the north of the country.
However, in March 2021, CAF discovered that the dimensions given for the trains were incorrect, bringing construction to a halt as the carriages would have been too wide for some tunnels.
The head of Cantabria’s regional government, Miguel Angel Revilla, described it as a “monumenally botched job” and called on those responsible to resign.
Both the Spanish central government and Renfe have said they caught the mistake in good time and no money was wasted.
Laid out in the 19th century, the railway network in northern Spain traverses a mountainous landscape and has different tunnel sizes that do not correspond to modern standards.
Since the opening of the spectacular Guggenheim Museum in 1997, the city has experienced a tourism boom. Nestled between mountains and the Atlantic Ocean in northern Spain, Bilbao offers art, Basque tradition and natural beauty.
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A museum as a motor
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao opened 25 years ago. Designed by Canadian architect Frank Gehry, the titanium, sandstone and glass building on the banks of the Nervion River has become a landmark in the Basque capital. It soon became an attraction for not only architecture and art lovers. To date, more than 20 million visitors have brought new wealth to a once-declining city.
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Abando Indalecio Prieto, Bilbao’s main train station, greets travelers with a stunning stained-glass mural: 250 square meters (2,700 square feet) of scenes from Basque history. On the left is the bust of Indalecio Prieto, a prominent politician and socialist who had to flee into exile in Mexico in 1939 during the Spanish Civil War.
Image: picture-alliance/Axiom Photographic/Design Pics
Glass tube tunnels lead to the subway, which connects the inner city with its outskirts. The tunnels are called “fosteritos” (“little Fosters”), after Norman Foster, the British architect who designed the underground stations. The metro from San Mames station near the airport takes you into the city. The best way to visit the Guggenheim Museum is to get off at Moyua Station.
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A steel sculpture by the Basque sculptor Jorge Oteiza has stood on the square in front of the town hall since 2002. Her Spanish name “Variant Ovoide de la Desocupacion de la Esfera” translates to “Oval Variant of Idleness of the Sphere”. Jorge Oteiza (1908-2003) is considered a pioneer of abstract art in Spain. He was also a philosopher concerned with the Basque soul.
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Bilbao, founded in the 13th century, is a trading center on the Nervion River, which empties into the Bay of Biscay. It became an industrial city in the 19th century and was long considered the ugly sister of the seaside resort of Donostia (San Sebastián). But Bilbao’s image has changed. Another sign of this is the tallest building in the city, the Torre Iberdrola (in the middle of the photo).
Image: picture-alliance/robertharding/T. Graham
The White Bridge, “Zubizuri” in Basque, was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. Built in 1997 exclusively for pedestrians, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful bridge in Bilbao. Its glass surface had to be covered with a plastic laminate to keep it from becoming slippery when it rained. In the background are the twin towers designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki.
Image: picture alliance/DUMONT picture archive
Like a polished black diamond
This building by the Spanish architects Coll-Barreu also reflects the city’s rapid change. The glass facade of the Basque Ministry of Health’s headquarters, which uses solar energy and absorbs noise, has been a popular photo opportunity since its completion in 2004. It is located in the Ensanche district, Bilbao’s main shopping area.
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Since 2006, the indie, pop and rock festival Bilbao BBK Live has grown into one of the biggest festivals in Europe. This year bands performing included The Killers, Stromae and the Pet Shop Boys. Tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate and dance on Kobetamendi Hill high above the city.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/J. zorilla
In the Basque Country, wearing a beret is a political act to identify with the region. It is said that a citizen of Bilbao wears a hat at home but puts on a Basque beret in Madrid. And as a little jab at the rival city of Donostia (San Sebastian), it’s said that Basques wear berets only at home there – and hats in Madrid.
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“The Great Week” in Bilbao is dedicated to Basque traditions. For nine days people danced, ate and drank in the streets and squares. Giant puppets, like the official icon Marijaia, make an appearance. Next year the festival will start on August 19th when the traditional rocket, the Txupinazo, will be launched in front of the Arriaga Theater.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M. tona
Spain’s first national park
The Picos de Europa National Park (literally “Peaks of Europe”) stretches inland from Bilbao. It was founded in 1918 as Spain’s first national park. Around 200 two-thousanders offer hikers impressive panoramas. The famous Way of Saint James, which people from all over the world follow to Santiago de Compostela, runs through northern Spain here.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Thieme
The Atlantic coast some 30 kilometers northeast of Bilbao offers a study in contrasts. There are rocky cliffs and quiet coves; deeply carved fjords and extensive beaches. A spectacular stone causeway and more than 200 steps lead to the Maritime Chapel on the island of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Thieme
Once a hermitage, the island is now a place of pilgrimage for sailors and fishermen. According to legend, John the Baptist left his footprints at the bottom of the stairs. Traditionally, visitors ring the chapel bell three times and make a wish. And as the location of Dragonstone Castle in Game of Thrones season 7, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe is now a must for fans of the series.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Thieme
From the beaches on the coast, line 1 of the Bilbao Metro (Areeta, Gobela, Bidezabal or Plentzia stations) will take you back to the city center in around half an hour. Afterwards, a walk along the river bank is worthwhile. As night falls, a play of light transforms structures like the Guggenheim Museum and the White Bridge into spectacular sculptures.
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jsi/ar (AFP, AP, EFE)