Chueca has questioned the reasons that led the ministry to propose a possible suspension of the line now and called for an explanation of the grounds that would justify a decision of this kind. "¿And why does the line suddenly have to be shut down now and not last week? On what basis?", the mayor asked, arguing that the technical grounds must be known before assessing an interruption to the rail service that passes through Zaragoza.
The mayor went further and questioned the minister's ability to address the issue rigorously. In this regard, she called for the reports and studies supporting the measure to be made public, along with an explanation of whether it responds to a documented need or an improvised decision. "First, let him show us the technical reports and studies, and explain how rigorously these statements are being made," she demanded.
CONTROVERSY OVER RAIL ACCIDENTS
Chueca also linked Puente's statements to the crisis that erupted after the latest rail accidents. She accused the minister of diverting attention from the victims and the political responsibilities arising from these tragedies. "Does he want to shift the focus of attention to another issue again so that people don't talk about those who died, the accident and the minister's political responsibility?", she asked.
The possible suspension of the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona line was announced by Puente on October 30, when he explained that the ministry and Adif were studying the possibility of temporarily suspending the service to speed up the planned renovation works. The minister argued that keeping trains running while the work is carried out extends the deadlines and said that an interruption would considerably reduce the duration of the work.
