Controversy over train crash in Italy

A train crash that killed 17 people in northern Italy set off a row over whether the country's worst railway disaster in nearly 25 years could have been prevented.

A body believed to be that of the last victim was pulled out of wreckage on Saturday night, more than a day after the passenger train and the freight train collided head-on in fog-shrouded plains north of Bologna.

The accident took place on a line where trains going in opposite directions share the same single track.

Railway workers and opposition politicians interviewed in several newspapers complained that in an attempt to save money, the railways had neglected secondary lines while investing in main routes.

Intesaconsumatori, the confederation of Italy's four main consumer groups, said yesterday the accident was a "shameful slaughter" that could not go unpunished.

It called on its members nationwide to report any suspected safety violations and demanded the resignation of railway chiefs and Transport Minister Pietro Lunardi.

"It is absurd that in a civil country those in power keep their jobs despite this type of slaughter," it said.

But rail operator Trenitalia said in a statement it had increased spending on safety measures by more than 25 per cent over the past two years.

According to published reports, the accident may have happened because the thick fog prevented the conductors of one of the trains from seeing a red light.

La Repubblica newspaper of Rome published a photo of the traffic light taken after the accident. It was almost totally invisible in the fog.

The disaster prompted renewed demands that single-track lines, common throughout Europe, be upgraded to twin tracks.

Trenitalia Chief Executive Officer Roberto Testore said the company was committed to doubling single-track lines as quickly as possible, but that the work took time.

He told la Repubblica the trains involved in the crash were equipped with "the type of safety measures required for those types of trains".

But railway workers said single-track lines should be fitted with the latest generation of electronic technology that would stop trains automatically even if they did run red lights.

The accident was particularly horrific because girders carried on the freight train were hurled on impact into a passenger carriage.

Bologna magistrates and the railways have begun separate investigations. Mr Lunardi is due to address a parliamentary commission on the crash this week.