Spanish train drivers' union warned of damage to tracks where trains collided

Corina Pons, David Latona and Victoria Waldersee

19 January 2026 at 12:31:19

Spanish train drivers' union warned of damage to tracks where trains collided

Members of the Spanish Civil Guard, along with other emergency personnel, work next to one of the trains involved in the accident, at the site of a deadly derailment of two high-speed trains near Adamuz, in Cordoba, Spain, January 19, 2026.

REUTERS/Susana Vera

MADRID - A Spanish train drivers' union warned rail operator ADIF in a letter last August of severe wear and tear on high speed rail tracks, including one where two trains collided in a fatal crash on Sunday, according to a copy of the letter seen by Reuters.

Potholes, bumps, and imbalances in overhead power lines were causing frequent breakdowns and damaging the trains, the letter, published on X and verified by a member of union SEMAF to Reuters, read, adding drivers had notified the operator "daily" of their concerns but that no action was taken.

ADIF did not immediately reply to a request for comment.