| Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by eightonedee at 22:18, 18th January 2026 |     |
Sadly it appears that there has been a crash involving two trains in southern Spain.
I have seen this while watching the 10pm BBC News, and on checking their website (www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cedw6ylpynyo) the story is there, albeit the confirmed death toll has increased from 5 to 10.
Thoughts with all involved
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 23:16, 18th January 2026 | |
From the BBC, the death toll has sadly risen to 21. [Image from here is not available to guests]
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by ChrisB at 08:07, 19th January 2026 | |
Now 39, and climbing.
It seems that one derailed & collided with another coming in the reverse direction, which then has gone off down an embankment & is hard to reach. They are expecting to recover further bodies
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Mark A at 08:43, 19th January 2026 | |
West of the town of Adamuz, a pair of crossovers, referred to here:
"De acuerdo con esta misma fuente, el tren LD AV Iryo 6189, que realizaba el trayecto Málaga–Puerta de Atocha, descarriló en los desvíos de entrada de la vía 1 de Adamuz e invadió la vía contigua, por la que circulaba el convoy LD AV 2384 Puerta de Atocha–Huelva, que también descarriló."
An automatic translation:
"According to the same source, the LD AV Iryo 6189 train, which was traveling the Málaga–Puerta de Atocha route, derailed at the entry switches of track 1 in Adamuz and invaded the adjacent track, on which the LD AV 2384 Puerta de Atocha–Huelva train was also traveling, causing it to derail as well."
Source: https://www.fuenlabradanoticias.com/articulo/actualidad/39-mueertos-152-heridos-descarrilamiento-dos-trenes-alta-velocidad-adamuz-cordoba/20260118213807186538.html
Thoughts with the people caught up in this.
Mark
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by grahame at 10:08, 19th January 2026 | |
From the Irish Times
What caused the derailment?
Unlike the 2013 disaster, the derailment on Sunday happened on a straight portion of the track. An independent commission has been launched to investigate what caused it.
Óscar Puente, Spain’s transport minister, told reporters that the first train to derail was only a few years old and that the section of the track where the crash occurred had been recently renovated.
“The crash is extremely strange,” he said. “It happened on a straightaway. All the experts we have consulted are extremely baffled.”
He added: “If there had not been an oncoming train, we would not be talking about casualties of any type.”
Unlike the 2013 disaster, the derailment on Sunday happened on a straight portion of the track. An independent commission has been launched to investigate what caused it.
Óscar Puente, Spain’s transport minister, told reporters that the first train to derail was only a few years old and that the section of the track where the crash occurred had been recently renovated.
“The crash is extremely strange,” he said. “It happened on a straightaway. All the experts we have consulted are extremely baffled.”
He added: “If there had not been an oncoming train, we would not be talking about casualties of any type.”
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Mark A at 11:23, 19th January 2026 | |
Two posts from Bluesky: video from on board one of the services, the train manager providing leadership.
Mark
https://bsky.app/profile/ogilvie.org.uk/post/3mcrhgwt2js2n
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:01, 19th January 2026 | |
From the BBC:
What we know about Spain's worst rail disaster in over a decade
[Image from here is not available to guests]
At least 39 people have died and dozens more have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, the country's Civil Guard has said.
The incident near the city of Córdoba has been described by local officials as Spain's worst rail crash in more than a decade.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene on Monday, where he announced a three-day mourning period.
Here's what we know about the incident so far.
Where did the crash happen?
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The crash occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT) on Sunday, about an hour after one of the trains departed Málaga for Madrid. The train derailed and crossed over to the opposite track, operator Adif said.
It then collided with an oncoming train travelling from south Madrid to Huelva, which was forced into an embankment running alongside the track, Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente said on Sunday. The majority of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the Huelva-bound train, he added.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
What caused the crash?
What caused the train to derail remains unclear.
Officials say an investigation has been launched but it is not expected to determine what happened for at least a month.
Puente has described the crash as "extremely strange" and said all the railway experts consulted by the government "are extremely baffled by the accident".
The president of Spain's state-owned rail operator, Renfe, said he had "discarded" the possibility that the incident occurred due to excessive speed or human error.
Álvaro Fernández Heredia told Spain's national radio RNE that even if a mistake had been made, a system within the train would have fixed it. He added that both trains were travelling under the maximum speed limit on the stretch of track where the crash happened. Fernández Heredia suggested a mechanical fault or an infrastructure issue was a more likely cause.
Meanwhile, at a news conference during his visit to Adamuz, Prime Minister Sánchez vowed to uncover the cause of the crash and thanked emergency workers for their help "in a moment of such pain and tragedy".
Are people still trapped in the trains?
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The Spanish Civil Guard arrived on scene to assess the situation and begin the evaluation process
There were around 400 passengers and staff on the two trains, operated by Iryo and Renfe, according to a statement from Renfe. It is not clear if there are people still trapped inside the carriages but rescue teams are on site.
"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Córdoba, told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. "We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work," he added.
The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, told local outlet Canal Sur that they are waiting for "heavy machinery" to "practically lift" parts of the second train, which "has taken the worst part of this accident".
"Until the heavy machinery can do its job and free the wagons from the track", emergency services will not be able to start "searching and identifying" any remaining victims, he added.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Who are the victims?
The 39 victims of the crash have not yet been identified, with Puente saying the death toll "is not yet final" as investigations into the crash commence.
As of Monday afternoon, 122 people had received medical assistance, 48 of whom remained hospitalised, local emergency services said. Among the 48 victims still in hospital, five are under the age of 18.
Moreno said teams are working to identify those who have died.
What have the survivors said?
Passengers on board the Madrid-bound train described the moment of impact feeling like an "earthquake" and said it shattered the train's windows, displaced luggage and threw people to the floor.
"I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed," journalist Salvador Jimenez told Canal Sur. "There were people screaming, calling for doctors," he added.
Another passenger, Lucas Meriako, told Spanish broadcaster La Sexta Noticias he was in the fifth carriage of the same train when he started to "feel some banging" that got louder and louder. "Another train passed us and everything started vibrating. There was a jolt behind us and the feeling that the whole train was going to fall apart," he described.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
At least 39 people have died and dozens more have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, the country's Civil Guard has said.
The incident near the city of Córdoba has been described by local officials as Spain's worst rail crash in more than a decade.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene on Monday, where he announced a three-day mourning period.
Here's what we know about the incident so far.
Where did the crash happen?
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The crash occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT) on Sunday, about an hour after one of the trains departed Málaga for Madrid. The train derailed and crossed over to the opposite track, operator Adif said.
It then collided with an oncoming train travelling from south Madrid to Huelva, which was forced into an embankment running alongside the track, Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente said on Sunday. The majority of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the Huelva-bound train, he added.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
What caused the crash?
What caused the train to derail remains unclear.
Officials say an investigation has been launched but it is not expected to determine what happened for at least a month.
Puente has described the crash as "extremely strange" and said all the railway experts consulted by the government "are extremely baffled by the accident".
The president of Spain's state-owned rail operator, Renfe, said he had "discarded" the possibility that the incident occurred due to excessive speed or human error.
Álvaro Fernández Heredia told Spain's national radio RNE that even if a mistake had been made, a system within the train would have fixed it. He added that both trains were travelling under the maximum speed limit on the stretch of track where the crash happened. Fernández Heredia suggested a mechanical fault or an infrastructure issue was a more likely cause.
Meanwhile, at a news conference during his visit to Adamuz, Prime Minister Sánchez vowed to uncover the cause of the crash and thanked emergency workers for their help "in a moment of such pain and tragedy".
Are people still trapped in the trains?
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The Spanish Civil Guard arrived on scene to assess the situation and begin the evaluation process
There were around 400 passengers and staff on the two trains, operated by Iryo and Renfe, according to a statement from Renfe. It is not clear if there are people still trapped inside the carriages but rescue teams are on site.
"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Córdoba, told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE. "We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work," he added.
The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, told local outlet Canal Sur that they are waiting for "heavy machinery" to "practically lift" parts of the second train, which "has taken the worst part of this accident".
"Until the heavy machinery can do its job and free the wagons from the track", emergency services will not be able to start "searching and identifying" any remaining victims, he added.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Who are the victims?
The 39 victims of the crash have not yet been identified, with Puente saying the death toll "is not yet final" as investigations into the crash commence.
As of Monday afternoon, 122 people had received medical assistance, 48 of whom remained hospitalised, local emergency services said. Among the 48 victims still in hospital, five are under the age of 18.
Moreno said teams are working to identify those who have died.
What have the survivors said?
Passengers on board the Madrid-bound train described the moment of impact feeling like an "earthquake" and said it shattered the train's windows, displaced luggage and threw people to the floor.
"I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed," journalist Salvador Jimenez told Canal Sur. "There were people screaming, calling for doctors," he added.
Another passenger, Lucas Meriako, told Spanish broadcaster La Sexta Noticias he was in the fifth carriage of the same train when he started to "feel some banging" that got louder and louder. "Another train passed us and everything started vibrating. There was a jolt behind us and the feeling that the whole train was going to fall apart," he described.
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 10:57, 20th January 2026 | |
Sadly, the death toll has now risen to 'at least 41 people'. [Image from here is not available to guests]
From the BBC:
Spain train crash recovery continues as investigators probe 'gap' in rail
Heavy machinery is being used to assist in the recovery following a two-train crash in southern Spain which killed at least 41 people.
Rescuers worked through a second night as more bodies are feared to be trapped in the wreckage.
More than 120 people were injured when carriages on a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks, hitting an oncoming train in Adamuz on Sunday evening.
A faulty or damaged weld on a rail is being investigated as a factor in the crash, Spanish media report.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has cancelled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, pledging to get to the bottom of Spain's worst train disaster in more than a decade.
Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia will visit the site later on Tuesday. Three days of national mourning have been announced.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the death toll "is not yet final". Officials are working to identify the dead.
Puente said the investigation could take at least a month, describing the incident as "extremely strange".
Spanish media report that a 30cm gap in one of the rails is the current focus of the investigation.
Technicians told the El Mundo newspaper that a "bad" or "deteriorated" weld was "more than likely" the cause for the derailment.
Ignacio Barron, head of Spain's Commission of Investigation of Rail Accidents (CIAF), said on RTVE: "What always plays a part in a derailment is the interaction between the track and the vehicle, and that is what the commission is currently [looking into]."
However, Spain's El País newspaper reports that it was not clear whether the fault was a cause or a result of the crash.
On Monday, Renfe President Álvaro Fernández Heredia apparently ruled out "human error", telling RNE TV show Las Mañanas that, if "the driver makes a mistake, the system itself corrects it".
Four hundred passengers and staff were on board the two trains, the rail authorities said. Emergency services treated 122 people, with 41, including children, still in hospital. Of those, 12 are in intensive care.
Heavy machinery is being used to assist in the recovery following a two-train crash in southern Spain which killed at least 41 people.
Rescuers worked through a second night as more bodies are feared to be trapped in the wreckage.
More than 120 people were injured when carriages on a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks, hitting an oncoming train in Adamuz on Sunday evening.
A faulty or damaged weld on a rail is being investigated as a factor in the crash, Spanish media report.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has cancelled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, pledging to get to the bottom of Spain's worst train disaster in more than a decade.
Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia will visit the site later on Tuesday. Three days of national mourning have been announced.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the death toll "is not yet final". Officials are working to identify the dead.
Puente said the investigation could take at least a month, describing the incident as "extremely strange".
Spanish media report that a 30cm gap in one of the rails is the current focus of the investigation.
Technicians told the El Mundo newspaper that a "bad" or "deteriorated" weld was "more than likely" the cause for the derailment.
Ignacio Barron, head of Spain's Commission of Investigation of Rail Accidents (CIAF), said on RTVE: "What always plays a part in a derailment is the interaction between the track and the vehicle, and that is what the commission is currently [looking into]."
However, Spain's El País newspaper reports that it was not clear whether the fault was a cause or a result of the crash.
On Monday, Renfe President Álvaro Fernández Heredia apparently ruled out "human error", telling RNE TV show Las Mañanas that, if "the driver makes a mistake, the system itself corrects it".
Four hundred passengers and staff were on board the two trains, the rail authorities said. Emergency services treated 122 people, with 41, including children, still in hospital. Of those, 12 are in intensive care.
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Witham Bobby at 11:21, 20th January 2026 | |
Utterly horrible event
Talk of a 30cm gap in a rail is very alarming - a gap of a foot seems so wild
May those lost rest in peace, and those who have survived recover well
| Re: Spain - High Speed Train crash, at least 39 dead, Cordoba province - 18 Jan 2026 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 17:24, 20th January 2026 | |
The BBC article has been updated with news of the latest developments, which I am quoting selectively here:
...
Rescuers worked through a second night and said the death toll included three bodies still trapped in a wrecked carriage.
...
Sabotage has been ruled out, the interior minister has said, and the initial focus of investigators is on a broken rail on the high-speed line.
...
Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the site on Tuesday, shaking hands and speaking to emergency service workers near the site of the crash on the first of three days of national mourning.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The royals also visited injured passengers later at a hospital in the city of Cordoba
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska ruled out sabotage, telling reporters that it "was never considered", and he stressed that all hypotheses remained open.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Damaged rails have been the focus of the investigation so far
Óscar Puente warned against speculation and said a lot of cracks had been found on the track but investigators would have to determine whether they had caused the derailment or had been caused by it.
A 30cm gap in one of the rails is the current focus of the investigation, according to Spanish reports.
Rescuers worked through a second night and said the death toll included three bodies still trapped in a wrecked carriage.
...
Sabotage has been ruled out, the interior minister has said, and the initial focus of investigators is on a broken rail on the high-speed line.
...
Spain's King Felipe and Queen Letizia visited the site on Tuesday, shaking hands and speaking to emergency service workers near the site of the crash on the first of three days of national mourning.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
The royals also visited injured passengers later at a hospital in the city of Cordoba
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska ruled out sabotage, telling reporters that it "was never considered", and he stressed that all hypotheses remained open.
[Image from here is not available to guests]
Damaged rails have been the focus of the investigation so far
Óscar Puente warned against speculation and said a lot of cracks had been found on the track but investigators would have to determine whether they had caused the derailment or had been caused by it.
A 30cm gap in one of the rails is the current focus of the investigation, according to Spanish reports.
