Spain: Reactivation of High-Speed Rail Line After Tragic Disaster in Adamuz

On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, traffic was restored on the strategic AVE line connecting Madrid with southern Spain. This decision came after the completion of intensive repair work near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba. It was there, on January 18, that one of the country's most tragic rail disasters occurred, resulting in 46 deaths from a collision between trains operated by Iryo and Alvia. Over the past four weeks, the main connection between the capital and Seville and Malaga remained completely paralyzed, forcing travelers to use cumbersome alternative connections. Despite the official reopening of the route, a return to full normalcy will still take considerable time. Transport Minister Óscar Puente admitted that temporary speed restrictions have been introduced on certain sections, causing delays affecting nearly 80% of trains. The situation is particularly difficult for passengers traveling to Malaga—due to ongoing modernization work and the effects of landslides in Álora, the section between Antequera and the capital of the Costa del Sol will be served by buses until early March. Local Andalusian authorities warn that the month-long interruption in rail service caused losses in the tourism sector amounting to 109 million euros, and the region saw nearly 66,000 fewer tourists than expected. The origins of Spain's high-speed rail network date back to 1992, when the first Madrid-Seville line was opened for the Expo exhibition in Seville. Since then, Spain has become a leader in Europe in terms of the length of tracks adapted for high-speed trains, even surpassing France. Service resumption occurred after obtaining approval from the judge leading the investigation into the disaster and positive technical tests conducted by Adif. Operators such as Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo are gradually restoring schedules, but are offering limited ticket pools due to ongoing ground stability verification processes. The disaster in Adamuz has reopened public debate over the government's investment priorities, which, according to some experts, focus too heavily on high-speed rail at the expense of maintaining traditional regional connections. „The Madrid-Andalusia line will be reactivated as soon as we receive final safety confirmation from technicians, which should happen in the coming hours.” — Óscar Puente Financial loss (million EUR): 109, Lost tourists (thousands): 65.8, Disaster victims: 46 80% — of trains arrive delayed after the route reopening The ERTMS safety system, used on European railway lines, is designed to prevent collisions by automatically braking trains if an obstacle or driver error is detected, but its older versions on Spanish lines are sometimes subject to criticism.