Spain’s railway commission reports track fracture likely caused Iryo train derailment in Andalusia, killing 45; union announces strike over infrastructure safety.
Initial Findings on Andalusia Disaster
On Friday (January 23), the Spanish Commission for Railway Accident Investigation (CIAF) announced that with high probability, the cause of the derailment of the high-speed Iryo train in Andalusia was a track fracture. “Based on currently available information, it can be hypothesized that the rail fracture occurred before the passage of the Iryo train, and therefore before the derailment,” the CIAF report states.
Investigators emphasized that final conclusions will be presented after a more detailed analysis of the evidence.
Deadly Collision Claims 45 Lives
On January 18, in the Adamuz area near Cordoba, one of the most tragic railway accidents in Europe occurred. The Iryo train derailed, entered the opposite track, and then collided with an oncoming Renfe company train. There were approximately 500 passengers in total in the trains.
In the accident, 45 people died and more than 150 were injured.
Investigators Rule Out Speed or Driver Error
The investigation is ongoing. Experts from the Railway Accident Investigation Commission, carrier representatives, infrastructure managers, and rolling stock manufacturers are working at the disaster site.
Investigators have ruled out excessive speed and a mistake by the Iryo train driver. On January 21, Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced that “small indentations of 1 mm in depth and 2-3 cm in width” were detected in the bogies of the Iryo train.
Part of Wider Safety Concerns
The Andalusia disaster was just one of four accidents that occurred in Spain in recent days. According to data from the National Commission for Markets and Competition, in 2024, nearly 40 million passengers used high-speed trains, which is double the number from 2019.
Experts point out that high load means greater wear and damage. They accuse the authorities that their priority is expansion, not maintenance and conservation.
Union Announces Safety-Focused Strike
The Semaf union announced a three-day strike starting on February 9. As its representatives emphasized, for the first time, the strike is exclusively about network safety and reliability, not wage issues.
Activists are demanding greater investments in preventive infrastructure maintenance and warn that they may take legal action against those responsible for the accidents.
