Train tragedy in Spain
Jan 18th, 2026 | 04:12 PM
#1
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Train tragedy in Spain
'The last units of the Iryo train heading toward Madrid have derailed, with those cars invading the opposite track where, at that moment, a Renfe train heading towards Huelva was traveling. “
More than 20 dead, estimated 100 injured. Derailed train was traveling from Malaga to Madrid..the southbound train was heading to Huelva at 200 km speed. Couldn’t stop…It was dark. What a horror.
Simpaties to our Spanish friends.
More than 20 dead, estimated 100 injured. Derailed train was traveling from Malaga to Madrid..the southbound train was heading to Huelva at 200 km speed. Couldn’t stop…It was dark. What a horror.
Simpaties to our Spanish friends.
Jan 19th, 2026 | 04:37 AM
#3
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Sadly the death toll has risen to 39 (latest report) and is likely to climb. Such a shame. I have to admit, I was surprised and discouraged to see some news channels prioritizing Trump's latest ravings over this catastrophe, esp coming so soon after Crans Montana. 
.
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Jan 19th, 2026 | 11:08 PM
#5
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Trump's ravings never mentioned anything about Spain, he's still focused on Greenland. IMO, the tragedy in Spain should have been the lead story, especially from the European news channels, instead of Trump.
Jan 20th, 2026 | 12:15 AM
#6
Joined: Sep 2022
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Well, one should take that up with the European news channels I suppose. Odd that even in an Act-of-God tragedy with much loss of life that anyone's mind would default to ragging on a politician who will be gone in a few years, or have him even enter one's mind during such a time. Prayers to the victims and their families. And, I suppose, to Greenland.
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Jan 20th, 2026 | 02:45 PM
#8
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The US network news just announced that there has been a second train crash, near Barcelona. The driver and at least one passenger were killed.
Here is a link from BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m78xl0gmpo
Here is a link from BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m78xl0gmpo
Jan 20th, 2026 | 05:03 PM
#9
Joined: Sep 2006
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This is horrific. We were on that exact train and route (Madrid-Malaga-Madrid, via Iryo) just 2 months ago. Since 1970, I've traveled by train countless times, and not once did it occur to me that anything bad could happen. My heart goes out to all involved.
Jan 20th, 2026 | 05:56 PM
#10
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The US network news just announced that there has been a second train crash, near Barcelona. The driver and at least one passenger were killed.
Here is a link from BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m78xl0gmpo
Here is a link from BBC:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m78xl0gmpo
“ Renfe, runs approximately 5,000 trains daily, covering an extensive network that includes Europe's largest high-speed rail system, making train travel a popular and efficient way to see the country.
Jan 21st, 2026 | 03:29 AM
#11
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Sorry to hear more bad news.
“ Renfe, runs approximately 5,000 trains daily, covering an extensive network that includes Europe's largest high-speed rail system, making train travel a popular and efficient way to see the country.
“ Renfe, runs approximately 5,000 trains daily, covering an extensive network that includes Europe's largest high-speed rail system, making train travel a popular and efficient way to see the country.
Spain apparently has the second largest network of high-speed rail inn the world, after China.
Jan 21st, 2026 | 07:07 AM
#13
Joined: Sep 2006
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I don't know about the cause of the Barcelona crash (other than it was caused by a collapse of a retaining wall due to weather.)
But I do know that there is nothing about the cause of the horrific Madrid-Malaga crash that is certain; and there is no evidence at this point that it had anything to do with climate change.
There is speculation from several sources that the cause of the Iryo train's derailment on the Madrid-Malaga line was damage to the track, and that the damage had been observed and reported to authorities several months ago.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...-railway-lines
Spain’s Union of Railway Drivers had warned the state-owned rail operator and Spain’s railway safety agency last year about problems with the country’s train tracks, including on the line where two high-speed trains crashed, killing at least 39 people, the union said Monday.
The union emphasized that it did not know the cause of the accident, but argued that railway infrastructure had deteriorated because of increased traffic. It released a letter dated August 2025 in which it had urged the railway authorities to increase maintenance.
The union did not say whether it had received a response to the letter. The rail operator and the rail safety agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Spanish authorities urged that it was still too soon to assign blame for the train crash, the country’s deadliest in more than a decade, and that an investigation was forthcoming.
https://www.thetimes.com/world/europ...acz9w90g%3D%3DSemaf, the train drivers’ union, had warned state-owned rail infrastructure administrator Adif in a letter last August of severe wear and tear to the railway track where the two trains collided. They said potholes, bumps and imbalances in overhead power lines were causing frequent breakdowns and damaging the trains.
Adif had also reported problems with infrastructure at Adamuz, from signalling failures to issues with overhead power lines, that caused delays to high-speed trains between Madrid and Andalusia ten times since 2022.
The incidents were brought before the senate, the upper house of the parliament last summer, after a question from the conservative opposition Popular Party. The government then acknowledged that it had dealt with two “technical incidents that affected the signalling systems”.
Jan 21st, 2026 | 09:45 AM
#15
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The first train crash was the lead story for many, if not most European news media that I saw. For more than just the day it happened too.
A terrible tragedy, affecting not only those in the crash and their families but the villagers who rushed to the scene and the first responders having to cope with horrific sights and difficult conditions.
A terrible tragedy, affecting not only those in the crash and their families but the villagers who rushed to the scene and the first responders having to cope with horrific sights and difficult conditions.
Jan 21st, 2026 | 11:38 AM
#16
Joined: Sep 2006
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Absent a thorough investigation conducted by experts in the field, it seems a bit presumptuous to come to any conclusion regarding the cause of either crash.
Jan 21st, 2026 | 02:50 PM
#17
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I have been reading Spanish “ El país”….some speculations, the usual political accusations,..nothing solid, so far.
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