Argentina’s Auditor-General Leandro Despouy stated that TBA company, which holds the Sarmiento and Mitre lines concession, should automatically lose all contracts after yesterday’s fatal train crash that killed 50 and left more than 700 injured in Once Central Station.
“After what happened, we have all necessary proofs to call the contract termination, but that’s something that the government [Executive power] must decide.”
Likewise, Despouy remembered that back in 2008 the Nation’s General Audit (AGN in Spanish) presented an assessment on Argentina’s rail system and service, which included thorough warning remarks on TBA for “not having exhibited all maintenance plans requested by the AGN.”
“What happened is not new. By 2008 the audit we ran revealed that the company levels of failure to comply with orders and procedures were high. Actually the Executive branch could have easily terminated the concession contract.”
To end, Despouy announced that AGN will release a new report on Argentina’s rail transport next week.
Meanwhile, investigations are now focused on the hypothesis that faulty breaks may have caused engine to plough into Once station buffers.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald