Overview
- Spain’s rail accident board (CIAF) reported uniform notches on right‑side wheels of the Iryo train and similar marks on other trains, a pattern it says is compatible with a cracked rail prior to the derailment.
- Investigators outlined that the Iryo train derailed and moved onto the adjacent line where it was struck by an oncoming Renfe service, with officials ruling out driver error as both trains were below the 250 km/h limit.
- High‑speed links between Madrid and Andalusia remain disrupted, with Renfe running combined train‑and‑bus services and the UK’s FCDO advising travelers to check schedules and allow extra time.
- Adif said the Adamuz stretch was recently renovated and inspected several times, most recently on January 7, with no faults linked to the crash, and authorities documented a recovered Iryo bogie found downstream of the site.
- The death toll stands at 45 as scrutiny of rail safety intensifies following several other incidents this week, and the Semaf drivers’ union has called a national strike for February 9–11.