A preliminary investigation into last weekend’s high-speed train collision in Andalusia, Spain, which killed 45 people, suggests that a pre-existing crack in the track was the likely cause of the disaster. The findings were released in an initial report on Friday by the CIAF rail accident investigation committee.
The incident occurred Sunday evening when a high-speed train operated by the private firm Iryo derailed, veered onto an adjacent track, and collided with an oncoming train from the state-owned company Renfe. The catastrophe is one of Europe’s deadliest rail accidents in recent years and has prompted serious questions about the safety of Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network.
According to the CIAF report, inspections revealed “notches in the tread of the right-sided wheels” on four carriages of the Iryo train. The report states that this damage, along with observed deformities in the track, is “compatible with the fact that the track was cracked” before the derailment.
Investigators also found similar geometric notches on the wheels of three other trains that had passed over the same section of track hours before the collision, reinforcing the hypothesis that the track was already compromised. The report cautiously terms this a “working hypothesis” that requires further detailed analysis.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated that the initial findings “shed light on the theory that commission technicians currently consider the most plausible.” He explained that the fracture was likely too small to disrupt the track’s electrical circuit, which would have automatically activated safety alarms and stopped rail traffic.
Human error has been ruled out, as both trains were operating within the established speed limits.
The incident has heightened safety concerns across the nation’s rail system. The Semaf train driver union has called for a national strike from February 9 to 11, citing repeated safety issues. The call followed a separate accident on Tuesday where a commuter train struck a fallen retaining wall near Barcelona, killing a trainee driver and injuring dozens.
While officials have attributed the Barcelona incident to recent heavy rains and stated the two accidents are “unrelated,” the union’s strike action points to broader concerns about rail infrastructure safety in Spain.
