Spain Reels After Twin Train Disasters Leave Dozens Dead

Spain is in mourning after suffering two devastating train crashes within just three days, leaving a nation renowned for its high-speed railways shocked and searching for answers. The first, Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in over a decade, occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz in southern Spain. Just 48 hours later, tragedy struck again—this time on a commuter line outside Barcelona—raising urgent questions about infrastructure, oversight, and the safety of the country’s sprawling rail network.

Sunday’s catastrophe unfolded at approximately 7:45 p.m. on January 18, 2026, when a high-speed Iryo train, carrying nearly 300 passengers from Málaga to Madrid, derailed on a straight section of track. According to BBC and AP, the last three carriages of the Iryo train (carriages six to eight) veered off the rails and crossed onto the opposite track. Within seconds, they collided with an oncoming Renfe train traveling from Madrid to Huelva with 184 people aboard. The force of the impact was so extreme that the first two carriages of the Renfe train were knocked off the track and tumbled down a four-meter (13-foot) embankment. The carnage was immediate and overwhelming: bodies were found hundreds of meters from the crash site, and the death toll quickly mounted.

By Wednesday, authorities confirmed that 43 people had died, making this the deadliest Spanish rail accident since 2013. Dozens more were hospitalized—123 in total suffered injuries, with 37 still in hospital and nine in intensive care by midweek. The victims included people from all walks of life, such as María del Carmen Abril, a beloved teacher, and Victor Luis Terán, a Bolivian national whose travel plans had changed at the last minute. Survivors described scenes of chaos and horror. Lucas Merayo, who was in the fifth car of the Iryo train, told BBC, “It’s really, really shocking and overwhelming to be alive when everyone else is not.” He recalled the fear and confusion as the train became bumpy, then silent, before the crash. Passengers broke glass to escape, some helping others down the embankment, while first responders and even local residents rushed to the scene to offer aid.

Rescue operations were grueling. According to BBC, Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Córdoba, explained, “The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside. We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.” Heavy machinery was brought in to lift wreckage, and the search for victims continued until the 43rd body was found on Wednesday.

As the nation reeled, another disaster struck. On Tuesday night, January 20, a commuter train near Gelida, about 37 kilometers (23 miles) outside Barcelona, crashed after hitting a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks. The crash killed one person—a conductor in training—and injured at least 37 others. The incident forced the suspension of commuter rail service in Catalonia the following day, causing massive traffic jams and prompting authorities to urge residents to avoid unnecessary travel and for companies to allow remote work. “This is very bad. If (the infrastructure) was already faulty and there were complaints, they should have done something earlier,” commuter Dolores Sogas told AP as hundreds were left stranded.

The cause of the retaining wall collapse was quickly linked to the heavy rainfall that had swept across northeastern Spain that week, according to Spain’s railway operator Adif. Yet, the timing of the crash—so soon after the Adamuz disaster—sparked a wave of anxiety and skepticism about the overall state of Spain’s rail safety.

Investigations into both crashes are ongoing. In the case of the high-speed derailment, Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the event as “extremely strange,” noting that both trains were traveling well below the 250 kph (155 mph) speed limit and that the accident occurred on a straight, recently renovated stretch of track. Human error and excessive speed have been ruled out, and sabotage has been dismissed as a possibility. However, a broken 30-centimeter section of track was found at the site, leading investigators to focus on whether this gap was a cause or a result of the derailment. Puente told Spanish radio Cadena Ser, “Now we have to determine if that is a cause or a consequence (of the derailment).”

Renfe’s president, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, explained that even if a mistake had been made, the train’s safety systems would have corrected it. The Iryo train involved had been manufactured in 2022 and had passed its latest safety check on January 15, just days before the accident, according to AP. Experts are also examining grooves found on the wheels of the first five carriages that passed safely over the track, as well as similar notches on other trains that had recently traversed the same section. Some have suggested a welding failure could be to blame, but definitive answers are weeks away.

The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers had sounded the alarm months earlier, warning of infrastructure flaws and calling for a general strike to demand better safety. In an August letter, the union highlighted potholes, bumps, imbalances in overhead power lines, and frequent breakdowns—issues that, in their view, had not been adequately addressed. Now, with the nation’s confidence in its rail system shaken, the union’s concerns have taken on new urgency. The union announced it would proceed with a general strike in the coming weeks to press for safety assurances.

Spain’s high-speed rail network has long been a source of national pride. With more than 3,900 kilometers (2,400 miles) of track, it is the largest such network in Europe and is generally considered safe and reliable. According to the International Union of Railways, this was the first deadly accident on Spain’s high-speed network since it opened its inaugural line in 1992. By contrast, commuter rail services—especially in regions like Catalonia—have been plagued by reliability issues, though serious crashes have remained uncommon until now.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered condolences to the victims and their families, stating on social media, “All my affection and solidarity with the victims and their families.” As rescue and recovery efforts wind down, the focus turns to the investigations and the urgent need for answers. For many Spaniards, the hope is that these tragedies will spur real change, ensuring that the country’s railways—whether high-speed or commuter—are as safe as they are celebrated.

With investigations underway and the nation’s attention fixed on the outcome, Spain faces a reckoning over its rail infrastructure and safety culture. The scars of these disasters will linger, but so too will the determination to prevent such tragedies from happening again.