Train crash in Adamuz
2026
On January 18, 2026, one of the deadliest rail accidents in modern Spanish history occurred near the town of Adamuz, in southern Spain. A high-speed Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed on the Madrid–Seville line and crossed onto the adjacent track, colliding with an oncoming Renfe Alvia service bound for Huelva. The impact caused both trains to derail, leaving 46 people dead and hundreds injured.
The crash marked the first collision between two trains on Spain’s high-speed rail network, one of the largest in the world. The accident took place on a recently upgraded stretch of track in a remote and difficult to access area of the Sierra Morena, complicating rescue efforts. Emergency services, supported by local residents, worked through the night to evacuate survivors and recover victims.
The tragedy triggered a nationwide shock and reopened debate over rail safety, infrastructure maintenance, and the rapid growth of traffic following the liberalization of Spain’s passenger rail market. An official investigation was launched to determine the causes of the derailment, as authorities declared days of national mourning and victims’ families awaited answers.
A view of the derailed Renfe Alvia train as railway workers operate on the tracks near Adamuz, southern Spain, on January 21, 2026. Recovery and inspection work continued days after the collision that left dozens dead.
Railway workers remove passengers’ belongings from the overturned car number eight of the Iryo train, extracting a suitcase through a broken window near Adamuz, on January 21, 2026. The carriage was one of the most severely damaged in the collision.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente listens during a press conference led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the municipal pavilion in Adamuz, on January 19, 2026, a day after the train collision.
A damaged bogie lies in a stream beneath the tracks near the crash site, on January 21, 2026. The component was located the previous afternoon by a New York Times photographer; El Confidencial was the first Spanish outlet to reach the area where it was found, as investigators searched for evidence to determine the cause of the derailment.
Cranes operate on the tracks to lift and remove damaged carriages of the Iryo train near Adamuz, on January 21, 2026, as cleanup and recovery efforts progressed along the high-speed line.
Detail of the damaged Iryo (Ouigo) high-speed train near Adamuz, on January 21, 2026, showing structural damage caused by the derailment following the collision.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, leader of the Socialist Party (PSOE), stands alongside Andalusian regional president Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla of the conservative Popular Party (PP) during a joint press conference in Adamuz, on January 19, 2026. The appearance brought together leaders from rival political parties following the disaster.
Ana, victim of the accident, reunites with her dog, Boro, in Adamuz on January 22, 2026. The animal had fled the crash site after the collision and was found days later following a coordinated search involving residents, emergency services, and animal rescue specialists.
Another view of the derailed bogie from the Iryo train, located in a small stream beneath the tracks near Adamuz, on January 21, 2026.
Heavy cranes operate along the high-speed line as recovery work continues on the derailed Iryo train near Adamuz, on January 21, 2026.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez walks among residents and onlookers during a visit to Adamuz on January 19, 2026, as the town became the focal point of national mourning after the train disaster.