Adamuz high-speed train crash in Córdoba kills dozens and shakes Spanish rail

On the evening of Sunday 18 January 2026, a high-speed train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, in Córdoba province in Andalusia. It reportedly spilled onto the adjacent track and was struck by a second train heading from Madrid to Huelva.

The death toll rose over the following day, passing 39 in early reports, and later accounts put it in the mid-40s, with well over a hundred people injured. The exact final figures should be checked against official sources. It was Spain's deadliest rail accident since 2013, when a train derailed at Angrois, near Santiago de Compostela, and killed 80 people.

The crash, followed days later by another incident near Gelida in Catalonia, raised doubts about the safety of the network. The train drivers' union Semaf, together with other unions, called a three-day rail strike for 9–11 February to demand stronger safety measures. The strike was called off after the transport minister, Óscar Puente, signed an agreement with the unions. Semaf has since returned to the dispute with Renfe, the state operator, over how far those commitments have been met.