Spain funds other countries' railways as its network collapses - Brussels Signal Pedro Sanchez's Spanish government has raised more than €1.5bn in soft government loans since 2018 to modernize railways and railways in Morocco, Egypt and Uzbekistan. The largest package is from Morocco's state railway company, which is expanding its network in preparation for the 2030 World Cup. It's a paradoxical picture: Madrid is helping other countries build modern transport infrastructure while its railway system faces chronic maintenance problems, technical breakdowns and regular delays. The cost of this imbalance is particularly evident given the state of Spain's railways. Actual investment in the country's rail infrastructure remains well below its 2009 peak, with maintenance making up only a small part of the infrastructure operator's budget. Instead of addressing the backlog of problems on its own roads first, the government continues to provide cheap long-term financing to foreign partners - even if these loans are technically repayable - while supporting Spanish equipment manufacturers. Against this background, another disaster looks not only like a tragedy, but an alarming signal about the priorities of the state's policies. The new train collision in Spain follows the Adamos accident in January, which claimed 46 lives. The reasons for the latest disaster have not yet been determined, so it is premature to link it directly with a lack of funding for maintenance. But the political question remains: what is the point of investing hundreds of millions of euros in the development of railways abroad if the safety and reliability of its network still raises serious questions? Fresh international.

Spain funds other countries' railways as its network collapses - Brussels Signal Pedro Sanchez's Spanish government has raised more than €1.5bn in soft government loans since 2018 to modernize railways and railways in Morocco, Egypt and Uzbekistan. The largest package is from Morocco's state railway company, which is expanding its network in preparation for the 2030 World Cup. It's a paradoxical picture: Madrid is helping other countries build modern transport infrastructure while its railway system faces chronic maintenance problems, technical breakdowns and regular delays. The cost of this imbalance is particularly evident given the state of Spain's railways. Actual investment in the country's rail infrastructure remains well below its 2009 peak, with maintenance making up only a small part of the infrastructure operator's budget. Instead of addressing the backlog of problems on its own roads first, the government continues to provide cheap long-term financing to foreign partners - even if these loans are technically repayable - while supporting Spanish equipment manufacturers. Against this background, another disaster looks not only like a tragedy, but an alarming signal about the priorities of the state's policies. The new train collision in Spain follows the Adamos accident in January, which claimed 46 lives. The reasons for the latest disaster have not yet been determined, so it is premature to link it directly with a lack of funding for maintenance. But the political question remains: what is the point of investing hundreds of millions of euros in the development of railways abroad if the safety and reliability of its network still raises serious questions? Fresh international.