Spanish train drivers to strike after fatal crashes

One union had warned Adif about severe wear and tear to the railway track where two trains collided

Spain's largest train drivers' union has announced a nationwide strike, demanding urgent assurances regarding professional safety after one of Europe's most significant train crashes claimed at least 42 lives and a second derailment killed a driver.

A high-speed train derailed near Adamuz in Cordoba province, approximately 360 km south of Madrid, which led to a collision with another train, killing 42 people, including the driver of the oncoming service.

Just two days later, a commuter train derailed near Barcelona on Tuesday after a retaining wall collapsed onto the track during heavy rainfall.

The driver was killed, and four passengers sustained serious injuries.

A third incident on Barcelona's regional network, which caused no injuries, was attributed by rail network operator Adif to a rock falling onto the line during the same storm.

The train drivers' union, SEMAF, has vowed to pursue accountability. "We are going to demand criminal liability from those responsible for ensuring safety in the railway infrastructure," SEMAF stated.

Firefighters inspect the damage after a commuter train derailed as a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks in Gelida, near Barcelona, Spain on 21 January, 2026 (Associated Press)

The union had previously alerted Adif in a letter last August, seen by Reuters, about severe wear and tear on the very track where the two trains collided.

Their warning highlighted issues such as potholes, bumps, and imbalances in overhead power lines, which were causing frequent breakdowns and damage across several high-speed lines.

Rescuers at the site of the Adamuz crash were prising apart the second carriage of the train belonging to state operator Renfe, which contained its cafeteria, to see if any more bodies could be found, the Andalusian regional government said in a statement.

Overnight they had used cranes to remove one of the final carriages of the derailed train run by private consortium Iryo from the scene.

Rescuers at the site of the Adamuz crash were prising apart the second carriage of the train belonging to state operator Renfe, which contained its cafeteria, to see if any more bodies could be found, the Andalusian regional government said in a statement (Guardia Civil)

Adif said on Wednesday it had introduced a further speed limit on the Madrid-Barcelona line after a driver had reported poor conditions on the track in a 78-kilometre stretch.

On Tuesday, it had ordered drivers to limit their speed because of concerns about the state of the track. Its maintenance team had worked overnight to inspect the line and found four points that needed to be repaired, Adif said in a statement.

The accidents are causing chaos for commuters and travellers, who were scrambling for alternatives. Regional trains across Catalonia were suspended on Wednesday to allow for track inspections after the recent storms.

Renfe posted a photo of its President Alvaro Fernandez Heredia using a replacement bus service as he travelled back to Madrid from Adamuz.