Spain: Reactivation of Madrid-Andalusia Line One Month After Tragic Disaster in Adamuz

One month after one of the most tragic rail accidents in Spain's recent history, railway operators Renfe and Iryo have resumed regular services on the Madrid-Andalusia route. January 18, 2026 in the town of Adamuz, an Iryo train derailed and then collided with an oncoming Alvia train. The toll of those events is staggering: 46 fatalities and over 120 injured, seven of whom are still hospitalized. Although on Tuesday, February 17, the first AVE trains set off on the route, a return to full normality is far off. Passengers complain of delays exceeding 70 minutes, and at the disaster site drastic speed limits of 60 km/h have been imposed. The investigation led by the state commission is currently focusing on the technical condition of the infrastructure. Experts are examining possible rail cracks and defects in thermite welds, which may have led to the derailment. The situation is complicated by the fact that the black boxes of both trains are still awaiting opening in the presence of judicial officials. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Óscar Puente defends his crisis management policy, highlighting record transport figures for 2025 and announcing a gradual increase in travel speed in Adamuz to 160, and ultimately 250 km/h. However, local authorities and victim associations criticize the government for insufficient psychological support and lack of clear declarations on political responsibility. The crisis in Adamuz has exposed deeper problems of the Spanish railway, including underinvestment in the Cercanías network and lack of maintenance of infrastructure built for the World Expo '92 in Seville. In the Andalusia region, outrage is growing over so-called "false high-speed," where passengers paying for premium tickets are forced to transfer to buses, e.g., on the Antequera-Malaga section, due to track damage after heavy rains. The opposition and the president of the Andalusia region demand full transparency and equal treatment of Adamuz victims with those affected in other autonomous communities. The Spanish high-speed network is the second longest in the world after China, but its rapid development after 1992 often came at the expense of maintaining older regional and suburban lines.this many people died in the disaster near Adamuz„It's something that cannot be explained – why I am here, and others are not.” — Noelia Ruiz, survivor Currently, the network is grappling with a record number of 1205 temporary speed restrictions, paralyzing transport on key axes of the country. An additional problem is technical failures at hubs such as Madrid Chamartín, which have compounded the process of restoring traffic after the disaster, generating communication chaos in the heart of Spain.