Spanish rail operator Renfe has revealed plans to invest in installation of surveillance technology in the driver cabins of 240 trains.
The move comes in response to the Alvia train accident in 2013, which killed around 79 passengers and injured 170.
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Renfe will invest around €3.8m to equip the train cabins with two systems of cameras and microphones, which will record the events taking place in the cabin on trains including AVE, Avant and Alvia services, reported The Local.
The recordings will be saved in a crash-proof black box, which is similar to that used in aircrafts. However, the black boxes that are being used in the trains will only be viewed in case of an accident.
Plans to further extend the surveillance systems to 5,000 trains of the Cercanias commuter, regional and medium-distance services will require an investment of around €80m, according to Spanish daily El Mundo.
The usage of mobile phones by train drivers has also been restricted to emergencies. At the time of the accident in Santiago, the driver of the train had admitted that he was using mobile phone.
During January, Spain’s Ministry of Works announced plans to introduce new qualification requirements and mandatory psychological testing for people who are interested to work as train drivers.
