Spain's railway infrastructure manager, the company Adif, faces accusations of unlawfully removing sections of track from the Adamuz disaster site. These actions, taken without court approval, could lead to the contamination of crucial evidence. Meanwhile, passengers must brace for a paralysis of Madrid–Malaga connections until at least March 23, and operators are reporting drastic drops in ticket sales and implementing forced leave for employees.

Adif Accused of Destroying Evidence

The manager removed parts of the track from the disaster site without court approval, which, according to technicians, contaminated the evidentiary material.

Madrid–Malaga Route Paralysis

High-speed train traffic will resume at the earliest on March 23, impacting Easter tourism plans.

Financial Crisis for Operators

Ticket sales have fallen by 30%, and the company Iryo has sent 40 employees on forced temporary layoffs.

The situation surrounding the Adamuz train disaster is taking on the character of a political-legal scandal. The infrastructure manager Adif admitted to removing weld elements and rail fragments from the scene, despite clear warnings from the judge leading the investigation and the Civil Guard. Transport Minister Óscar Puente defends these actions, claiming the secured materials would have ended up in a landfill anyway, as they did not interest the commission investigating railway accidents. However, this argument has provoked a fierce reaction from the opposition and victims' associations, who fear the loss of key trial evidence. Transport logistics in southern Spain remain in a state of deep crisis. Repairing the damaged infrastructure will take at least until March 23, casting doubt on handling the tourist peak during Holy Week. The situation directly hits private operators like Iryo and Ouigo. The former was forced to send 40 employees on ERTE due to the inability to operate on the route to Malaga. Ticket sales for AVE high-speed rail connections have fallen by over 30%, generating multi-million losses for the tourism sector. Simultaneously, formal compensation procedures are underway in the Montoro court. Adif's insurer has deposited 8.8 million euros for future compensation, although experts emphasize that this sum is based only on media estimates, not full medical documentation of the victims. An association formed by the victims announces a fight for a full explanation of the tragedy's causes and the responsibility of officials for the alleged manipulation of evidence at the scene. Spain's high-speed rail network is the second longest in the world after China's, but its dynamic development has for years sparked debates about safety and oversight procedures for the state-owned infrastructure monopoly. „Adif se llevó piezas de Adamuz porque no interesaron a Guardia Civil ni CIAF.” (Adif took pieces from Adamuz because they were of no interest to the Civil Guard or the CIAF.) — Óscar Puente

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