Last Sunday, January 18th, Spain suffered the deadliest high-speed train accident in its history, with at least 40 fatalities and over 100 injuries. The accident occurred in Adamuz, Córdoba, when an Iryo high-speed train traveling between Málaga and Madrid derailed, some of its carriages crossing onto the opposite track. Twenty seconds later, it was struck by a Renfe Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction. While the investigation is ongoing, attention has focused on a gap of more than 30 centimeters in the track that triggered the initial derailment.
In his first public statement, Transport Minister Óscar Puente claimed the infrastructure was in “perfect condition,” having been repaired in works completed last May, and described the accident as “very strange.” Hours later, however, emerging details suggested the incident was not so mysterious after all.
The largest train drivers’ union had long warned of the poor state of the Madrid-Seville corridor, which includes the accident site, urging authorities to limit speeds to 250 kilometers per hour due to track deterioration that caused bouncing and vibrations, frightening passengers and posing a safety risk. Meanwhile, a Popes80 investigation revealed that between May and last Sunday, major social media platforms hosted more than fifty videos, incident reports, and public complaints describing tremors, strange noises, sudden braking, and breakdowns on this high-speed line.
Many Spaniards are now asking why a track renovated just eight months ago generated so many complaints about its condition. While no definitive answer exists, initial findings are alarming: among the companies responsible for the May works is one implicated in one of the major corruption scandals of Pedro Sánchez’s government, currently under police investigation. Known as the ‘Koldo Case,’ it involves Koldo García, former advisor to José Luis Ábalos, Sánchez’s then Minister of Transport—both now in prison. A Civil Guard report includes audio recordings linking Koldo to the construction company at the time of the accident, during maneuvers to influence public works contracts.
Spain’s rail service has been steadily deteriorating under Sánchez’s administration. Delays, breakdowns, and passengers stranded for hours on dark trains are now the norm, undermining what was once a prestigious national symbol. In 2024, amid growing criticism, Minister Puente boldly claimed, “The train in Spain is experiencing the best moment in its history”—a statement that now seems tragically ironic.
The government continues to mislead the public when boasting of increased investment in the rail network. While the nominal budget has grown compared with previous administrations, the figure masks the addition of over 800 kilometers of track since 2015 and fails to account for a 26.5% rise in inflation, which has significantly increased maintenance costs. In reality, investment per kilometer has decreased.
Compounding the problem, public calculations ignore population growth, which raises passenger numbers, and the Sánchez government’s ongoing campaigns promoting trains over cars. Between 2019 and 2024, high-speed rail usage rose 77%, meaning wear and tear on the network increased at the same rate.
Other factors contribute to overloading Spain’s high-speed trains. The road network, under Sánchez, has reached unprecedented structural deterioration, with over 52% of roads in serious or very serious condition, according to the Spanish Road Association. The government’s low-emission zones, supported by both the Socialists and the People’s Party (PP), discourage car use in cities, further pushing travelers toward trains.
In line with its environmental agenda, the Sánchez government has spent heavily on campaigns promoting train travel, subsidizing discounts and special passes. This Christmas, amid overcrowding chaos, Sánchez announced a nationwide single train pass costing €60 for adults and €30 for young people. Although high-speed AVE trains were not included from the start, they are intended to be part of the final plan.
The transport disaster in Spain raises urgent questions: is it the result of incompetence, sectarian environmental policies, or corruption? It is no coincidence that many investigations touching Sánchez and his inner circle—from former Minister Ábalos to PSOE Secretary General Santos Cerdán—are linked to construction companies involved in public works, particularly Ministry of Transport contracts. Part of the investigation focuses on how several of former Minister Ábalos’s close female friends—who were escorts—were placed in various public companies under the Ministry, receiving substantial salaries even though they never actually showed up for work.
As Spain mourns its worst high-speed rail accident, the tangled web of corruption and mismanagement resurfaces with renewed urgency. Corruption—and governmental incompetence—always has consequences, yet responsibility is rarely assumed, starting with the minister himself.
Spanish Railway Tragedy: The Deadly Price of Corruption and Incompetence
Investigators work on the site of a high-speed trains collision that killed at least 41 people, in Adamuz, southern Spain, on January 20, 2026.
JORGE GUERRERO / AFP
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Last Sunday, January 18th, Spain suffered the deadliest high-speed train accident in its history, with at least 40 fatalities and over 100 injuries. The accident occurred in Adamuz, Córdoba, when an Iryo high-speed train traveling between Málaga and Madrid derailed, some of its carriages crossing onto the opposite track. Twenty seconds later, it was struck by a Renfe Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction. While the investigation is ongoing, attention has focused on a gap of more than 30 centimeters in the track that triggered the initial derailment.
In his first public statement, Transport Minister Óscar Puente claimed the infrastructure was in “perfect condition,” having been repaired in works completed last May, and described the accident as “very strange.” Hours later, however, emerging details suggested the incident was not so mysterious after all.
The largest train drivers’ union had long warned of the poor state of the Madrid-Seville corridor, which includes the accident site, urging authorities to limit speeds to 250 kilometers per hour due to track deterioration that caused bouncing and vibrations, frightening passengers and posing a safety risk. Meanwhile, a Popes80 investigation revealed that between May and last Sunday, major social media platforms hosted more than fifty videos, incident reports, and public complaints describing tremors, strange noises, sudden braking, and breakdowns on this high-speed line.
Many Spaniards are now asking why a track renovated just eight months ago generated so many complaints about its condition. While no definitive answer exists, initial findings are alarming: among the companies responsible for the May works is one implicated in one of the major corruption scandals of Pedro Sánchez’s government, currently under police investigation. Known as the ‘Koldo Case,’ it involves Koldo García, former advisor to José Luis Ábalos, Sánchez’s then Minister of Transport—both now in prison. A Civil Guard report includes audio recordings linking Koldo to the construction company at the time of the accident, during maneuvers to influence public works contracts.
Spain’s rail service has been steadily deteriorating under Sánchez’s administration. Delays, breakdowns, and passengers stranded for hours on dark trains are now the norm, undermining what was once a prestigious national symbol. In 2024, amid growing criticism, Minister Puente boldly claimed, “The train in Spain is experiencing the best moment in its history”—a statement that now seems tragically ironic.
The government continues to mislead the public when boasting of increased investment in the rail network. While the nominal budget has grown compared with previous administrations, the figure masks the addition of over 800 kilometers of track since 2015 and fails to account for a 26.5% rise in inflation, which has significantly increased maintenance costs. In reality, investment per kilometer has decreased.
Compounding the problem, public calculations ignore population growth, which raises passenger numbers, and the Sánchez government’s ongoing campaigns promoting trains over cars. Between 2019 and 2024, high-speed rail usage rose 77%, meaning wear and tear on the network increased at the same rate.
Other factors contribute to overloading Spain’s high-speed trains. The road network, under Sánchez, has reached unprecedented structural deterioration, with over 52% of roads in serious or very serious condition, according to the Spanish Road Association. The government’s low-emission zones, supported by both the Socialists and the People’s Party (PP), discourage car use in cities, further pushing travelers toward trains.
In line with its environmental agenda, the Sánchez government has spent heavily on campaigns promoting train travel, subsidizing discounts and special passes. This Christmas, amid overcrowding chaos, Sánchez announced a nationwide single train pass costing €60 for adults and €30 for young people. Although high-speed AVE trains were not included from the start, they are intended to be part of the final plan.
The transport disaster in Spain raises urgent questions: is it the result of incompetence, sectarian environmental policies, or corruption? It is no coincidence that many investigations touching Sánchez and his inner circle—from former Minister Ábalos to PSOE Secretary General Santos Cerdán—are linked to construction companies involved in public works, particularly Ministry of Transport contracts. Part of the investigation focuses on how several of former Minister Ábalos’s close female friends—who were escorts—were placed in various public companies under the Ministry, receiving substantial salaries even though they never actually showed up for work.
As Spain mourns its worst high-speed rail accident, the tangled web of corruption and mismanagement resurfaces with renewed urgency. Corruption—and governmental incompetence—always has consequences, yet responsibility is rarely assumed, starting with the minister himself.
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