Spain suspends high-speed rail in south after fatal collision

Spain will suspend high-speed train service between Madrid and much of southern Spain on Monday after a high-speed train derailed and smashed into another about 25 miles from Córdoba, killing at least 39 people and injuring dozens. The first train was traveling to Madrid from Málaga with about 300 people on board; the second was bound for Huelva.

Adif, the country’s railway infrastructure operator, said on social media that services between Madrid and Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Huelva will be suspended through Monday. Service between Madrid and Cádiz, Algeciras, and Granada will also be affected. Spain has over 1,684 miles of high-speed track, the most behind China, according to the International Union of Railways, and about 40 million passengers use the network every year; Renfe says the network’s average speeds rival those of global leaders like Japan and France.

For decades Renfe dominated Spain’s high-speed network, but private companies such as Iryo and Ouigo have entered the market. The first derailed train was operated by Iryo and smashed into a Renfe train. Iryo is operated by a consortium in which Ferrovie Dello Stato, Italy’s state-owned rail operator, holds the controlling stake; other stakeholders include Air Nostrum and Globalvia.

Key Topics

World, High-speed Rail, Iryo, Renfe, Adif, Córdoba