Shock and confusion as officials struggle for answers

The high-speed train crash in southern Spain on Sunday, the worst in a decade, turned into a devastating tragedy for the country, killing at least 42 people.

Amidst the pain, many people are asking what could have caused such a failure in one of Europe’s most admired rail systems.

The CIAF railway commission of inquiry began analyzing why a northbound train from Malaga derailed on a straight section of the route, causing it to collide with an oncoming train, which also derailed.

The Spanish government described the accident as “extremely strange”.

Three bodies were recovered from the wreckage on Tuesday afternoon and the 42nd victim was found at the crash site near Adamuz.

The shock felt in this sleepy town was compounded by confusion as to how a railway line that had been operating efficiently for so long suddenly failed.

Spain’s high-speed rail (AVE) network was seen as a symbol of the country’s modernization following its opening in 1992. Built with EU funds, it provided a state-of-the-art transport system that is fast, efficient and safe.

The 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela that killed 80 people was not part of the AVE network, even though the train was traveling at high speed. But Sunday’s crash occurred on the oldest AVE route connecting Madrid to Andalusia.

Multiple officials, including Renfe president and national rail operator Álvaro Fernández Heredia, said human error was almost certainly not the cause of the crash, given that the trains were not traveling at excessive speed. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska insisted sabotage was not a possible motive.

Inevitably, investigators take a close look at the derailed train.

The wagon, owned by the Italian company Iryo, was produced in 2022. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the train’s number six carriage would be closely examined because it was the first carriage to derail and presented “many pieces of the puzzle”.

However, researchers are also examining the section of railway where the derailment occurred and plan to analyze parts of it in a laboratory.

It was revealed that part of the rail at the crash site was broken, prompting speculation that this might have been the culprit.

The government was keen to downplay such consequences, pointing out that the runway may have been damaged by the force of the impact.

Some observers have pointed out possible underlying factors in the network.

It was revealed that railway infrastructure manager Adif drew attention to eight technical issues on the line near where the accident occurred on social media last year. Most of these issues were related to signaling, and last summer one was debated in the Senate.

Adif lowered the speed limit on the 150-kilometer (93-mile) AVE line between Madrid and Barcelona due to concerns about the condition of the line. The new limit in this section is 160 km/h, which is almost half the previous limit.

Since the collision, many social media users have flagged past posts complaining about disturbing behavior while traveling on AVE trains.

One user filmed the inside of a train vibrating violently in December, saying it made them “fear for my and my daughter’s safety”.

In August 2025, train drivers’ union Semaf issued a warning that the condition of a number of AVE lines was causing a “lack of comfort and reliability” for travellers.

He called for speed limits to be lowered to prevent further degradation of infrastructure and “guarantee the safety of workers and passengers”.

Such complaints may indicate that Spain’s high-speed rail network is in need of major overhaul. But the government disputes that the road where the crash occurred was renovated last year at a cost of €49 million (£42 million) as part of a wider €700 million investment to upgrade the Madrid-Andalusia network in recent years.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who declared three days of mourning during his visit to Adamuz, said regarding the investigation: “When we find the answer, we will announce it to the Spaniards with absolute transparency.” he said.

This answer could be of great importance for the future of Spain’s famous railway system.