Adamuz Negligence Probe
Adamuz Train Accident Investigation Focuses on Track Management Negligence
A railway disaster that killed 46 people near Adamuz, Spain, has officially become a criminal investigation. Judge Cristina Pastor of the Montoro Court No. 2 has formally opened a case for reckless homicide and reckless injury, focusing on negligence by those responsible for the rail infrastructure, according to Diario Córdoba.
The January 18 collision between an Iryo high-speed train and a Renfe Alvia near the town of Adamuz, in Córdoba province, is now the second-deadliest rail accident in Spanish history, behind only the 2013 Angrois disaster. With 152 people injured, the crash has sparked a political crisis and a mounting legal battle over who is responsible.
A Broken Rail Went Unnoticed for 22 Hours
The technical picture is damning. A Hitachi report — Hitachi held the signal maintenance contract — found that the track circuit at the crash site showed an abnormal voltage drop 22 hours before the collision. That warning never triggered an automatic brake, according to El País. The section was transitioning from an older German signaling system, called LZB, to a newer one. Investigators believe the fracture did not fully break the rail's electrical circuit, so the "occupied track" alarm never sounded.
The failed weld joins two rails with a 37-year age gap: one made in 1989, one made in 2023. Spain's railway accident investigation body, CIAF, is examining whether that difference in material hardness caused the weld to fail under stress. Both trains were traveling at roughly 200 km/h at the moment of impact, according to CIAF Note 08/2026.
Victims Say Warning Signs Were Ignored for Nearly a Day
Mario Samper, president of the victims' association AVDA, testified before the Spanish Senate in May. He said the evidence is clear: "The rail was broken for 22 hours and nobody detected it." He argues the crash was entirely avoidable. The association is now pushing hard for criminal convictions of specific individuals.
Railway unions have also spoken out. They accuse Adif, the state rail infrastructure manager, of "patchwork maintenance" — renovating the line while leaving 30-year-old rails in place. Adif's president, Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña, insists this was not a maintenance problem but an "inspection problem," arguing that protocols were followed but simply failed to catch the specific fracture, according to El Correo de Andalucía.
Minister Defends Record as Calls for Resignation Grow
Transport Minister Óscar Puente has faced relentless political pressure. In a two-hour press conference on January 23, he called the accident "an important stumble" in an otherwise improving rail system. He later told victims directly: "I did not weld the rail." The opposition has used the disaster to attack the government's opening of the high-speed market to private operators like Iryo, arguing that more trains on the tracks means less time for maintenance.
The government has already approved a €20 million aid package under Real Decreto-ley 27/2026 as an advance on civil liability payments. Each family of a victim received an initial direct payment of €72,121.46, tax-free. But total legal claims are expected to top €100 million, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
What Criminal Charges Could Mean for Rail Officials
Judge Pastor has stressed that the criminal classification is provisional for now. Her focus is on proving a specific "breach of the duty of care" that directly caused the 46 deaths. Under Spanish law, a conviction for serious professional reckless homicide — imprudencia profesional grave — can carry between one and four years in prison per fatality, according to La Opinión de Zamora.
Beyond the courtroom, Adif faces a mandatory audit of its ultrasonic rail-testing schedule. CIAF's president, Iñaki Barrón, has publicly questioned why a "comprehensive renovation" of Spain's oldest high-speed line left a 1989 rail in the ground. The full CIAF report is still pending, and its findings are expected to shape both the criminal case and any systemic reforms.
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