The Spanish Cabinet has approved a royal decree aimed at providing urgent support to victims of the Urda train accident in Toledo, allocating €30 million to expedite aid for those affected and minimise delays typically associated with standard insurance procedures.
This measure was presented by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, during a press conference following the Cabinet meeting. The royal decree seeks to establish immediate assistance for victims and advance part of the compensation related to civil liability insurance, complementing existing legal mechanisms that recognise the right of railway accident victims and their families to comprehensive support.
The aid is supplementary to plans, insurance, and coverage outlined in the law for railway accident victims, and is therefore compatible with mandatory civil liability compensation. Furthermore, the aid will be received in full as it is exempt from taxation.
The government has mobilised a total of €30 million, with €15 million allocated for urgent aid and another €15 million for advances. The compensation amounts have been defined as follows: in cases of death, a direct aid of over €72,121 will be provided for each deceased individual, along with the same amount as an advance from the insurance. For bodily injuries, the aid is structured by severity levels, ranging from over €2,404 for minor injuries to more than €84,141 for the most severe cases. The same amounts apply for the insurance advance.
Workers affected by the accident will receive special protection under Social Security. Sick leave due to temporary incapacity resulting from the accident will, exceptionally, be treated as a work-related accident for the purposes of economic benefits, allowing for compensation from the first day of leave (instead of from the fourth day) and at a higher rate than for common contingencies (75% of the regulatory base, rather than 60%). Additionally, pensions for permanent incapacity, death, and survival, as well as economic benefits for partial permanent incapacity resulting from the accident, will be calculated as work-related accident benefits, provided this is more advantageous for the beneficiaries.
Individuals included in the State Passive Classes Scheme who, due to the accident, are entitled to a retirement pension for permanent incapacity, widowhood, orphanhood, or for their parents, will be eligible for a higher pension. The extraordinary pension regime will apply, provided it is more beneficial for the beneficiary. This protection will be applied automatically, without the need for an application, and will have retroactive effects, even if the leave or pension has already been extinguished or recognised.
Furthermore, the government will establish Comprehensive Support Offices for the victims of the Urda train accident. These offices will be set up through the Government Delegations and Subdelegations, assisting affected individuals in applying for and processing aid and advances. If any affected person is unable to visit an office, they will be attended to at home anywhere in the country by personnel from the Subdelegations, thanks to the "Administration Close to You" programme from the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.
The royal decree also includes measures to limit the prices of alternative transport to trains while the Madrid-Andalusia High-Speed line is closed, as well as accommodation services related to affected travel. The aim is to prevent the consequences of the accident from worsening due to price increases that hinder access to necessary goods and services, introducing a temporary maximum price regime applicable during a state of emergency that significantly alters the supply and demand conditions of a specific market, in order to protect fairness, transparency, and public confidence in the market. This limitation will set a maximum price based on a previous reference period, adhering to an objective and verifiable criterion, thereby avoiding increases that could severely disadvantage consumers during a time of particular vulnerability.
