The trial of two men accused of causing one of the worst rail disasters in Spain's history has begun.

Eighty people died and over 140 people were injured in the 2013 derailment near the northern city of Santiago de Compostela.

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There are two men in the dock - Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, the driver of the train, and Andres Cortabitarte, the former head of safety for Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias (ADIF), the state-run company which is in charge of railway infrastructure.

Both are accused of 80 counts of manslaughter and of criminal negligence in causing injuries.

Human error or design fault?

The derailment on July 24, 2013, took place as the train approached Santiago de Compostela, a popular pilgrimage city in northwestern Spain.

The train came off the tracks on a bend with witnesses saying they saw carriages flipping in the air and bursting into flames

Investigations have shown that the train was traveling at 179 kilometers per hour - more than twice the speed limit for that part of the track.

At the time, the national rail operator Renfe said the train did not have any technical problems and had been inspected just hours earlier.

However, a report by the European railway agency in 2015 found massive flaws in that Renfe investigation and the company along with ADIF are also facing claims for damages from victims' families totaling nearly $58 million.

Improved safety

However, many of the commuters CGTN Europe spoke to believed safety had improved since 2013.

"I think the safety levels have always been pretty high, I think that after the accident, they put in more measures and they probably improved them," said one commuter.

"I feel pretty safe. We have had very few accidents on the rail system in Spain. With the high-speed trains, we have had very few incidents. So, I always feel pretty safe," added another passenger.

Over 600 witnesses are expected to take to the stand with the trial expected to run until at least February of next year.

The prosecution will push for prison sentences of up to four years each for both defendants.