Tragic High-Speed Train Derailment in Spain Claims Dozens of Lives
More than three dozen people died in Spain after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another train traveling in the opposite direction. In response to this tragedy, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has canceled his trip to Davos and declared three days of mourning.
The incident occurred when the last two carriages of a train traveling from Madrid to Málaga derailed, leading to a collision. According to Renfe, Spain’s publicly owned train company, at least 39 fatalities have been reported, as confirmed by Transport Minister Óscar Puente in a post on X.
The accident took place around 7:45 p.m. local time on Sunday. The high-speed train, which was carrying approximately 300 passengers, was operated by Intermodalidad de Levante SA under the Iryo brand, a company that is majority-owned by Italy’s Trenitalia SpA. The other train involved in the collision was operated by Renfe.
In light of the tragedy, Sánchez canceled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was set to deliver a keynote speech and engage in various bilateral meetings. The mourning period will commence at midnight and last through Thursday, as Sánchez emphasized the need for a united response to this calamity.
“Today is a day of pain for all of Spain,” Sánchez stated at the crash site in Adamuz, located in the Córdoba region. He acknowledged that determining the causes of the accident would require time and the expertise of technicians.
Spain boasts one of the largest high-speed train networks globally, which has faced increasing pressure due to rising demand. This surge in usage has been particularly notable since the market was opened to competition in 2018.
Transport Minister Puente remarked on the unusual nature of the accident, noting that the train was relatively new—less than four years old—and that the rail network had undergone significant renovations. “It is a tremendously strange accident that happened on a straight stretch of railway,” he added.
Italy’s transport minister, Matteo Salvini, commented that the cause of the accident remains “still unclear.”
Authorities reported that surviving passengers were evacuated, and services between Madrid, Málaga, and several other cities were suspended for the entirety of Monday.
Iryo lines commenced operations in late 2022, quickly becoming one of the largest high-speed train services to emerge since Spain opened its market to competition. The operator is 51% owned by Trenitalia, with partners including Air Nostrum and infrastructure investor Globalvia, making it one of Trenitalia’s largest high-speed operations outside Italy.
Another significant player in the high-speed market is Ouigo, which is controlled by France’s state-run SNCF and has been operating in Spain since 2021.
Trenitalia’s parent company, Ferrovie dello Stato SpA, expressed its condolences for the victims and their families in a statement.
The Spanish government oversees railway maintenance through a company called Adif and operates both regular and high-speed trains via Renfe. Other companies are permitted to offer high-speed services using existing networks.
In previous statements, Puente has indicated that Renfe’s competitors have been providing services at prices below market costs.
The CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato mentioned in June that the company plans to sell minority stakes in its high-speed network to finance further expansion.
Photograph: A derailed train on the tracks after a train collision in Adamuz, Spain, on Jan. 19, 2025. Photo credit: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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More than three dozen people died in Spain after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another train traveling in the opposite direction. In response to this tragedy, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has canceled his trip to Davos and declared three days of mourning.
The incident occurred when the last two carriages of a train traveling from Madrid to Málaga derailed, leading to a collision. According to Renfe, Spain’s publicly owned train company, at least 39 fatalities have been reported, as confirmed by Transport Minister Óscar Puente in a post on X.
The accident took place around 7:45 p.m. local time on Sunday. The high-speed train, which was carrying approximately 300 passengers, was operated by Intermodalidad de Levante SA under the Iryo brand, a company that is majority-owned by Italy’s Trenitalia SpA. The other train involved in the collision was operated by Renfe.
In light of the tragedy, Sánchez canceled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he was set to deliver a keynote speech and engage in various bilateral meetings. The mourning period will commence at midnight and last through Thursday, as Sánchez emphasized the need for a united response to this calamity.
“Today is a day of pain for all of Spain,” Sánchez stated at the crash site in Adamuz, located in the Córdoba region. He acknowledged that determining the causes of the accident would require time and the expertise of technicians.
Spain boasts one of the largest high-speed train networks globally, which has faced increasing pressure due to rising demand. This surge in usage has been particularly notable since the market was opened to competition in 2018.
Transport Minister Puente remarked on the unusual nature of the accident, noting that the train was relatively new—less than four years old—and that the rail network had undergone significant renovations. “It is a tremendously strange accident that happened on a straight stretch of railway,” he added.
Italy’s transport minister, Matteo Salvini, commented that the cause of the accident remains “still unclear.”
Authorities reported that surviving passengers were evacuated, and services between Madrid, Málaga, and several other cities were suspended for the entirety of Monday.
Iryo lines commenced operations in late 2022, quickly becoming one of the largest high-speed train services to emerge since Spain opened its market to competition. The operator is 51% owned by Trenitalia, with partners including Air Nostrum and infrastructure investor Globalvia, making it one of Trenitalia’s largest high-speed operations outside Italy.
Another significant player in the high-speed market is Ouigo, which is controlled by France’s state-run SNCF and has been operating in Spain since 2021.
Trenitalia’s parent company, Ferrovie dello Stato SpA, expressed its condolences for the victims and their families in a statement.
The Spanish government oversees railway maintenance through a company called Adif and operates both regular and high-speed trains via Renfe. Other companies are permitted to offer high-speed services using existing networks.
In previous statements, Puente has indicated that Renfe’s competitors have been providing services at prices below market costs.
The CEO of Ferrovie dello Stato mentioned in June that the company plans to sell minority stakes in its high-speed network to finance further expansion.
Photograph: A derailed train on the tracks after a train collision in Adamuz, Spain, on Jan. 19, 2025. Photo credit: Jorge Guerrero/AFP/Getty Images
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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