The Provincial Court of A Coruña decided this Friday to acquit the former Director of Traffic Safety of the Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif) in relation to the Alvia train accident that occurred in Angrois (Santiago de Compostela) on July 24, 2013, in which 80 people died and 143 were injured.
The court has upheld the appeals filed by the defense of this former high-ranking official, as well as by the Public Prosecutor's Office and Adif, partially overturning the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence that had been imposed on him for 79 counts of manslaughter and 143 counts of serious professional negligence.
Meanwhile, the Court has **confirmed the sentence for the train driver**, considered by the court as the **sole criminal responsible for the accident**. According to the ruling, the driver committed **gross professional negligence** by not reducing speed on a curved section, which caused the derailment. The judicial strategy of combining both appeals allowed for the separation of criminal responsibility between Adif and the driver, which has resulted in this **exoneration of guilt for the former safety director**, although with some dissenting votes within the court.
Repercussion and Context
This judicial ruling puts an end to one of the longest criminal proceedings related to one of the most serious railway accidents in recent Spanish history. The decision comes in a context in which the railway sector is once again in the spotlight after the accident in Adamuz (Córdoba) —which has revived the debate on safety, maintenance, and responsibilities in the national railway network—, although both events are independent and are being investigated through different channels.