Spain's Senate Launches Inquiry Into Adamuz Train Disaster That Killed 46 People

Spain's Senate launched a formal commission of inquiry into the country's railway system on Friday, summoning current Transport Minister Óscar Puente and two of his predecessors to answer for the January 18 accident in Adamuz, Córdoba, which killed 46 people. The Popular Party, which controls the Senate with an absolute majority, presented the commission's work plan through its Senate spokesperson Alicia García, who framed the disaster not as an isolated incident but as the product of systemic failure. The investigation will also cover a separate accident in Gélida, Barcelona, which occurred days later in January 2026. García announced the PP intends to follow what she called the "trail of the money," targeting alleged corruption in public contracts and the use of European funds.

Seventy-eight witnesses, three former ministers in the dock The commission's witness list already includes 78 (people) — witnesses listed without prejudice to expansion people, according to El Mundo, though La Vanguardia reported the figure at 73. Among those to be summoned are Puente, former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos, and former minister Raquel Sánchez, who between them held the portfolio from 2018 to the present day. Also on the list are Koldo García, a former member of the RENFE board of directors and former adviser to Ábalos, and Isabel Pardo de Vera, who served as former Secretary of State for Transport and former president of Adif. Ábalos and Koldo García were placed in provisional prison in November 2025 in connection with a separate corruption investigation. Pardo de Vera has also been named as a suspect in the so-called Koldo case. „What happened was not an isolated event or a chain of errors, but a failure of the system and the Government” — Alicia García via El Mundo

One year, three phases, and a possible referral to prosecutors The commission's work is scheduled to span one year and will be divided into three distinct phases: gathering documentation, holding hearings, and drawing up conclusions. The first phase will involve a broad request for documents from national and European bodies, including reports on all works carried out on the network, communications exchanged around the time of the Adamuz accident, proceedings of the European Public Prosecutor's Office regarding European fund usage, and files on allegedly rigged Adif contracts. The second phase will bring in politicians, former senior officials, technical experts, sector companies, and representatives of workers and users. Once the committee issues a final report, it will be submitted to the full Senate chamber for debate and a vote. Crucially, the PP has stated it will refer the matter directly to the public prosecutor if the committee's findings reveal evidence of criminal conduct.

Spain's railway network has faced mounting criticism over safety and maintenance in recent years. The Adamuz accident on January 18, 2026, in which the rear carriages of a train operated by private Italian operator Iryo derailed at high speed along a straight stretch of track, was among the deadliest rail disasters in Europe in recent memory. A separate accident near Gélida, Barcelona, occurred around the same time in January 2026, when a Rodalies commuter train collided with a retaining wall that had fallen onto the track. The PP's investigation is framed as covering the entire period of railway management since the 2018 motion of censure that removed Mariano Rajoy from the prime ministership and brought Pedro Sánchez to power.

Corruption trail and European funds under scrutiny Beyond the immediate safety failures, the PP has placed alleged financial irregularities at the centre of its inquiry. The party has said it will examine modifications to public works contracts, cost overruns, and emergency contract awards that it believes may have diverted resources away from network maintenance. The committee will also scrutinize the use of European funds channelled through the Transport Ministry and its dependent public companies, Adif and RENFE. The investigation's scope covers all categories of rail service — long-distance, high-speed, medium-distance, Cercanías, and Rodalíes — with a focus on investment levels, management decisions, and renewal contracts. Alicia García also pointed to the suspension of the Madrid-Málaga high-speed line during Holy Week as evidence of the network's current state of deterioration, noting the economic damage and disruption to travellers. The PP's stated objective is to establish political responsibility for what it described as the "accelerated deterioration of a public asset that until a few years ago was a source of national pride."

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