In a concerning series of incidents, Spain’s rail network has come under intense scrutiny following two separate train crashes in recent days. The first tragedy occurred on Monday night near the town of Adamuz, where a high-speed train from Málaga to Madrid collided with a regional train, resulting in the deaths of at least 43 people and leaving 152 injured.
Just days later, on Tuesday evening, a commuter train derailed near Gelida in the Catalonia region, killing a 27-year-old trainee driver, Fernando Huerta, from Seville, and injuring 41 others, five of whom are in critical condition. It is believed that the derailment was caused by the collapse of a retaining wall, potentially due to the heavy rainfall the region has been experiencing.
The back-to-back incidents have prompted Spain’s largest train drivers’ union, Semaf, to call for an indefinite strike, demanding assurances for the profession’s safety. The union has stated that it cannot accept “the constant deterioration of the rail network” and is calling for “urgent new measures” to address the issue.
While the transport minister, Óscar Puente, has stressed that the two accidents were “completely unrelated,” opposition parties have seized the opportunity to criticize the government’s handling of the country’s railway infrastructure. The leader of the right-wing Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has demanded an “immediate clarification” of the state of the nation’s railways.
It is worth noting that, according to EU statistics, Spain’s rail network is considered one of the safest in Europe. In 2024, a total of 16 passengers died in accidents across Europe’s rail network, with only one fatality occurring in Spain. During the same period, there were 20,000 deaths on Europe’s roads.
Nevertheless, the recent incidents have raised concerns about the overall condition and safety of Spain’s rail infrastructure, particularly the balance between the high-speed AVE network and the often unreliable and underfunded regional services. As the investigations into the causes of the accidents continue, the government and railway authorities will face increased pressure to address these issues and ensure the safety of passengers and workers alike.
