High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39 • Hacker News Board

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#271

Post by mlrtime » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 1:15 PM UTC

messe wrote: post #189

mlrtime wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

> Seasoned drivers have a six sense about the environment. > * Everyone over estimates their driving ability vs the average Reflect on that for a moment.

It wasn't by mistake, it was there to let replies know I had reflected on it.

Humans aren't [100%] rational, never will be. That is why Spock is so popular.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#272

Post by bflesch » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 1:40 PM UTC

anthk wrote: post #225

bflesch wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Spaniard here. Nope; we are full of "take the money and run" type CEO's, where they even blamed the train driver. He might be partially accountable, but it wasn't his fault in the very end. This happened in 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_derailm...

Attacks by russia on German railways happen at least once per month, the last one happened yesterday and a train with chemicals was targeted. They attack our production.

  - https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/gueterzug-lok-entgleist-hattersheim-beeintraechtigung-und-ausfaelle-im-zugverkehr-in-rheinland-pfalz-100.html 

  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EudOiRZ7txs

  - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dHN9ZnaZI0

  - https://www.hessenschau.de/tv-sendung/gueterzug-entgleist--bahnverkehr-lahmgelegt--hessenschau-vom-13052025,video-210638.html

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#273

Post by thisislife2 » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 2:48 PM UTC

perihelions wrote: post #243

bob1029 wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

So, was it the Russians or the Ukrainians (as is the case with the Nordstream pipelines)?

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#274

Post by laurencerowe » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 5:17 PM UTC

LargoLasskhyfv wrote: post #268

laurencerowe wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it breather switches are used rarely in high speed rail systems. The ride on Spanish high speed trains is very smooth. At 300km/h (5km per minute) you’d notice going over a breather switch. It’d be like taking Amtrak’s Acela. The gap looks about 50cm which is maybe 1.5km of contraction from installation tension.

I disagree. Though I've never ridden Acela, I did Intercity Express at 330kph. Since I've been rail fannig in my youth, I still look out for rail-related stuff. Even if it's 'only infrastructure'. Meaning I notice that stuff in pictures in reports about building/opening new HSR track. No matter where. Seems like they are mandatory. You just don't notice them, even when looking out of the window onto the other track,…

Your pictures show breather switches installed at a tunnel portal where they are necessary to handle the large differences in temperature and on what looks like various bridges which can be subject to their own thermal expansion. But at least as I understand it there's normally no need for them on continuously welded rail otherwise.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#275

Post by ihaveajob » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 6:43 PM UTC

mlrtime wrote: post #146

thecopy wrote: post #111

As 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…

Yes, it's the same as with nuclear vs coal. A nuclear disaster is so spectacular that it attracts a lot of attention. Meanwhile, millions of kids suffering from asthma, dying of cancer, etc. don't make the 9pm news because it's harder to connect the dots.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#276

Post by pvaldes » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 8:49 PM UTC

A third train in the Cercanias railway has crashed today and derailed after finding rocks laid in the railway and losing a wheel Axle on a rock.

And of course, as in the last thousand times, it was on a very particular northern part of Spain that has lots and lots of similar sabotages in the last years. No victims this time.

One time is maybe accident, two times in two days... nope. We are obviously under attack. All high speed trains in Spain were ordered to reduce the speed to a half temporarily. If seems that somebody really, really, don't wants the Spanish president going to the Davos Forum.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#277

Post by anthk » Tue, Jan 20, 2026, 9:20 PM UTC

bflesch wrote: post #272

anthk wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spaniard here. Nope; we are full of "take the money and run" type CEO's, where they even blamed the train driver. He might be partially accountable, but it wasn't his fault in the very end. This happened in 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_derailm...

Attacks by russia on German railways happen at least once per month, the last one happened yesterday and a train with chemicals was targeted. They attack our production. - https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/gueterzug-lok-entgleist-hattersheim-beeintraechtigung-und-ausfaelle-im-zugverkehr-in-rheinland-pfalz-100.html - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EudOiRZ7txs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dHN9ZnaZI0…

Spain is not Germany geopolitically.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#278

Post by timbooktwo » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 1:23 AM UTC

Local chats are saying that this is retaliation by a drug cartel after a 10-ton shipment of drugs was intercepted - this was reported in the news recently. In general, Spain has a long history of railway attacks carried out for mafia-linked, pseudo-political reasons.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#279

Post by pvaldes » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 7:36 AM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #276

A third train in the Cercanias railway has crashed today and derailed after finding rocks laid in the railway and losing a wheel Axle on a rock. And of course, as in the last thousand times, it was on a very particular northern part of Spain that has lots and lots of similar sabotages in the last years. No victims this time. One time is maybe accident, two times in two days... nope. We are obviously under attack. All…

A new accident today in Catalonia, three train crashes in three days of the Davos Forum with four trains involved.

The fourth train crashed against obstacles in the railway. One machinist killed and all commuter trains in the region halted until the railway is reviewed. High-speed velocity has been restored to normal values. Machinists went on strike and the narrative of poor maintenance is all around the place on internet.

The chance of this happening just by random is zero. We didn't have a train crash in Spain in years and now we have three at the same time.

Re: High-speed train collision in Spain kills at least 39

#280

Post by aa-jv » Wed, Jan 21, 2026, 9:54 AM UTC

bflesch wrote: post #272

anthk wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spaniard here. Nope; we are full of "take the money and run" type CEO's, where they even blamed the train driver. He might be partially accountable, but it wasn't his fault in the very end. This happened in 2013. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela_derailm...

Attacks by russia on German railways happen at least once per month, the last one happened yesterday and a train with chemicals was targeted. They attack our production. - https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/gueterzug-lok-entgleist-hattersheim-beeintraechtigung-und-ausfaelle-im-zugverkehr-in-rheinland-pfalz-100.html - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EudOiRZ7txs - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dHN9ZnaZI0…

There is absolutely no viable evidence presented to support the claim that Russia is responsible for these attacks. It could just as easily be claimed that the CIA is responsible for these attacks - simply because the USA also stand to benefit from such actions. However it would be inappropriate to make this claim without evidence.

You are spreading disinformation.