TL:DR – “Could This Be the Cause of the Tragic Spain Train Crash That Killed 45?”
- A train collision in Adamuz, Córdoba, Spain, killed at least 45 and injured 292, marking the nation’s worst rail disaster since 2013.
- The Iryo train and a Renfe express train collided, likely due to a fractured track, as human error was ruled out.
- Investigations found wear on train wheels consistent with the damaged rail, with further tests ongoing.
- Infrastructure issues have come under scrutiny, including adequacy of inspections and investments.
Is this the cause of the fatal Spain train collision which killed at least 45 people? | News World
Workers begin to remove the Renfe Alvia train following the fatal rail collision in Adamuz, Córdoba in Southern Spain (Picture: Reuters)
### Investigating the Deadly Collision of High-Speed Trains
Investigators have identified a possible cause of a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain. On Sunday evening, an Iryo train collided with an Alvia express train operated by state rail company Renfe in Adamuz in Córdoba province, Andalucía, killing at least 45 people and injuring 292. A probe launched into the rail accident – Spain’s worst since the Santiago de Compostela high-speed derailment in 2013 – has focused on a defect in the track as a possible culprit.
### The Sequence of Events
With human error on both drivers ruled out, investigators believe a fractured section of rail sparked a deadly sequence of events which caused both high-speed trains to career into each other within 20 seconds. Iryo train 6189 was travelling from Malaga to Madrid when it derailed at 7:43 PM and was hit moments later by the Renfe train travelling in the opposite direction from Madrid to Huelva.
Preliminary findings show that markings were discovered on the wheels of several carriages of the Iryo train, consistent with the 40 cm break in a piece of track which experts believe likely fatigued over time. By the time the sixth carriage passed the defective track head, it completely gave way, derailing the last cars and leaving them obstructing the adjacent line where they would collide with the other oncoming train.
### Investigative Findings and Implications
With both trains travelling at more than 200 kilometers per hour, there simply wasn’t time to stop either of the vehicles and prevent the tragedy from occurring. At least three other trains that had travelled through the same section of line in the hours leading up to the crash were found on examination to have similar dents on their wheels. The rail samples are now being further tested at a specialist metallographic laboratory.
Several possible explanations exist for the faulty track, including a manufacturing defect or an impact from another train. In a press conference on Friday, transport minister Oscar Puente said the latest findings were not “definitive” but were an important update. Opposition parties have blamed the disaster on a failure to adequately invest in infrastructure.
### Safety Inspections and Infrastructure Management
Spanish railway infrastructure manager Adif stated that the section in Adamuz had been upgraded last May and had been inspected several times since, most recently on January 7. A black box recording of the conversation between the Iryo driver and an operator in Madrid revealed the driver was unaware of the severity of the emergency after he had derailed.
On the tape, the control room operator assures him that “no other trains were arriving” in the area, also unaware that the Alvia train had already collided. Another controller was speaking to a staff member onboard the Renfe service bound for Huelva, on which the train driver had already been killed. In a chilling moment, she is heard repeatedly telling the control centre: “I have blood on my head.”
### Survivors and Human Impact
Among survivors was a six-year-old girl whose parents, brother, and cousin had all died in the crash. The family had travelled to the capital to watch a football match and the Lion King musical. A missing dog which was travelling on the Iryo train was later found alive by firefighters on Thursday.
A derailed carriage of the Renfe Alvia train spread over both lines of track following the collision in Adamuz, Andalucía (Picture: Reuters)
### Recent Related Incidents Across the Spanish Railway
This week saw several other accidents on the Spanish railway, including the derailing of a commuter train in Gelida, Catalunya, in which the driver was killed. Spain’s high-speed network is the world’s second largest, with more than 3,000 km of track in operation, handling more than 25 million passengers annually.
The incident was one of at least four across the Spanish network this week, as Storm Harry battered much of Catalunya causing additional disruptions. Heavy rain was thought to be behind the sudden collapse of a wall that caused the Rodalies train accident.
Local trains across the northeast region of Spain were suspended for several days while the infrastructure was inspected following the torrential rain, with disruption continuing on most lines this weekend. Another Catalan commuter train derailed between Blanes and Massanet-Massanes. In a fourth incident, several people were injured after another train hit a construction crane in Cartagena, Murcia.