The investigation is already pointing on the direction of poor maintenance[1].
[1]: https://euroweeklynews.com/2026/01/19/focus-of-guardia-civil...
High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
241–250 of 293 posts
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#242As an American with no good rails, I've always been curious: what stops a crazy person from throwing a boulder onto the high speed tracks, or a raccoon getting on it, or other such derailment attempts? Is there high security electric fencing all around the track the whole route or something like that?
We do have good rails, but they're regional. the NE Corridor is pretty solid overall and METRA and Amtrak in the Chicago area works quite well.
The brand new fastest rail in the country is barely over half the speed of the Shanghai bullet train, so I have to disagree about our rails being "good" even in the best case.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#243The most important context is this image[1] from the Guardia Civil. Using Google Maps, and using as context the tree, post and yellow connection box in the image, we can place its location at 180m before the accident in the tracks of the Iryo train. The image appears to show a track welding failure. This would match the reports of some passengers[2] that reported that the "train started shaking violently" before the…
The first image looks like sabotage to me. Continuous welded rail sections are much longer than this gap.
Just a few weeks ago, terrorists twice tried to sabotage rail lines in Poland, endangering a passenger train with hundreds of people.
> "[Prime Minister Donald] Tusk said that a military-grade C4 explosive device had been detonated on 15 November at about 21:00 (20:00 GMT) near the village of Mika."
> "The explosion, which happened as a freight train was passing, caused minor damage to a wagon floor. It was captured on CCTV."
> "Tusk said the train driver had not even noticed the incident."
> "A previous attempt to derail a train by placing a steel clamp on the rail had failed, he added."
> "The second act of sabotage, on 17 November, involved a train carrying 475 passengers having to suddenly brake because of damaged railway infrastructure, said Tusk."
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#244After the TV videos, it seems that a chunk of 80cm or one meter of the railway was missing, or broke by the train passing.
Just to add context:
In 2025 August, the Spanish government blocked the attempt from Ganz MaVag Europe to buy Talgo, the main Spanish train maker. Ganz Magyar Vagon is an Hungarian company linked with Oil oligarchs close to the Victor Orban government. The government alleged National Security reasons when the National Intelligence Center started to suspect that the operation was really funded by a Russian Company, lending money to the Hungarians, via Corvinus International Investment Ltd.
https://www.ft.com/content/e3074c51-7de1-4ed4-aafd-e3c20d9be...
So it seems that Moscow could be trying to gain access to the Spanish train technology for some reason.
Also, this crash happened in Andalucia. On 8 January 2026 the high velocity trains in Andalucia were delayed some hours by somebody stealing small amounts of copper cable from several vital parts of the system. It was ruled as common thievery, and it was not the first time. Similar events on may 2025:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm24l14l4zmo
Stealing copper from the Spanish railway is like an Olympic sport lately. It seems strangely common on the previous hours to a big holiday, election or major event.
The problem is causing serious economic damage and lots of troubles to the users of the Spanish Commuter rail system "Cercanias" and now escalated also to the high speed railway. The troubles with Cercanias can be often attributed to poor maintenance, but sometimes include also somebody placing rocks and trunks directly on the railway with the mere purpose to create chaos.
EU is on an hybrid war with Russia, and that there are many documented boycotts against relevant European infrastructure, like the regular cut of submarine cables. At this moment is to soon to discard anything.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#245Earlier quoted context omitted.
You mean the People's Party (PP) which was in charge when the Angrois derailment happened didn't do anything to address the warnings from the machinists? Because they had been in government for more than a year and a half already.
You mean the socialist party whose minister José Blanco opened the track?
No, I mean the party who was in charge when all that happened (PP). They had plenty of time to fix that if, as you claim, the machinists were warning about issues in the railroad.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#246As a reference, ~1500-2000 people die every year due to cars in Spain.
I knew this would come up so specifically searched for the comment. And I knew the death rate for cars would be >>>> than trains. HOWEVER, there is something unique scary about a single incident that kills more people that fit in a typical car. Combined with the fact that you have 0 control over it is much more frightening (for lack of a better word) than car static deaths. Just my opnion, may not be rational but I'd…
I'll take a trip by train or plane rather than by car every single time.
I feel WAY more safe knowing that the vehicle is operated by trained professionals and there's an extremely robust system around them to ensure safety, rather than whatever semblance of control I think I have driving my car.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#247Earlier quoted context omitted.
> fact that you have 0 control over it I may feel in control inside of my car, but it's up to the rest of the general populace to not T-bone me and kill me on every intersection and roundabout I pass. Every corner is a risk where someone can steer into my lane and cause a frontal collision. Every highway off-ramp, a suicidal driver may try to kill himself against my car. Every truck I pass is a possible burst tyre aw…
100% true, and it may not be rational vs statistics. However in your case your control is still > 0. Seasoned drivers have a six sense about the environment. * Everyone over estimates their driving ability vs the average * No matter how much control you think you have, there are always things outside your control.
> * Everyone over estimates their driving ability vs the average
Exactly. If there's an issue, I'd much rather delegate control to the pilots or train drivers who have been trained to deal with such issues.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#248Earlier quoted context omitted.
> So I would standby for this tragedy to be used for political purposes This is an ignorant opinion. For multiple reasons. Derailing under these circumstances is a track issue, which means ADIF, the state's infrastructure maintainer, is under suspicion. Not operators, the state's infrastructure maintainer. Liberalization of the railway sector is an EU-wide mandate. It's not some whimsical slip of a single country's l…
>Derailing under these circumstances is a track issue, which means ADIF, the state's infrastructure maintainer, is under suspicion. This is the most likely outcome, but it is not as cut-and-dried as you are presenting it. It could be a broken rail weld, it could be track sabotage, it could be a broken wheel or bogie... we don't know yet.
> It could be a broken rail weld, it could be track sabotage, it could be a broken wheel or bogie... we don't know yet.
Yes, the root cause is still unknown, and an investigation needs to happen to determine the root cause.
Sabotage or not, the infrastructure is by far the most likely suspect.
Even in the Santiago de Compostela accident, the root cause was the way the Spanish high speed railway infrastructure was mismanaged. Originally they tried to throw the train conductor under the proverbial bus with accusations of speeding to impress a girl, but later the investigation determined the track section failed to support basic speed limiters.
Jumping to conclusions about evil private railway operators is just ignorant and dumb.
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#249What we know so far: 1. The last 3 cars from the Iryo train (Frecciarossa 1000) derailed for unknown reasons. It's a straight line, so this is extremely rare. 2. The Renfe train (Alvia) didn't have time to break and hit the derailed trains from Iryo, the two first cars derail as a consequence of the impact. 3. The Iryo train(Frecciarossa 1000), that caused the accident, was manufactured in 2022 and it passed a techni…
> 3. The Iryo train(Frecciarossa 1000), that caused the accident, was manufactured in 2022 and it passed a technical inspection just 4 days ago. The inspection is a risk factor. There is data from the aviation industry for example that engine incidents on an engine that is certified for some thousands of hours of operation between inspection happen disproportionally in the first 100 hours (and then again at the end o…
Train inspections are far less intrusive. Wheel wear can be measured with calipers while standing beside the train. Software tests are physically null, except for alarms sounding. Brakeline tests can be verified without adding gauges; in many cases the braking mechanisms are externally observable.
Plane controls systems all live behind thin, deformable metal or plastic covers.
Trains aren't perfect, obv, but most train accidents reduce to "A human on the tracks fucked up". Drivers trying to maintain schedules by speeding, or vehicles or humans standing on rails where they had no business being (dodging crossing guards, suicide, etc).
Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39
#250[deleted]