Spain recently spent €258m (£228m) in designing 31 trains that will be delayed by several years due to a major design flaw.
The train designs were meant to be used in the FEVE line, which runs through the areas of Asturias and Cantabria. This line dates back to the 19th century, and so its tracks have track gauges narrower than the standard 1,435mm (4ft 8.5in), something that the manufacturer failed to notice in the designs.
Renfe, Spain’s national rail operator, Adif, the track company, and the country’s Left-wing coalition government have all faced harsh criticism after failing to notice the design fault.
CAF, the Basque manufacturer in charge of the construction of the trains, first raised concerns about the sizing in March 2021. The company had signed a €258m (£228m) contract in June 2020 to build 31 trains - 30 for Cantabria and 10 for Asturias - by October 2024.
The mistake was spotted before any train was constructed but it has delayed the...