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Investigators Focus on Clean Rail Break in Adamuz High-Speed Crash

Wheel‑tread marks point to a pre‑existing fracture on the recently renovated line.

Overview

  • The CIAF reports the last three Iryo carriages derailed near Adamuz, entered the opposite track and hit a Renfe Alvia train, with 42 fatalities confirmed.
  • Forensic work highlights an unusually clean fracture in the outer rail and matching marks on the wheels of the first five Iryo cars, suggesting the defect predated the crash.
  • At least 500 meters of rail are being removed for controlled testing in a Madrid laboratory, and investigators have secured data from both trains’ on‑board recorders.
  • Transport Minister Óscar Puente noted similar scratches on two or three trains that passed earlier, as teams examine other rolling stock and the Iryo train’s running gear.
  • The track segment was upgraded in May 2025 and cleared three inspections in October and November, a focus of the inquiry that officials stress remains open to all hypotheses.