Exclusive: Investigators find broken joint on track at Spanish rail crash site, source says
Source: Reuters
Exclusive: Investigators find broken joint on track at Spanish rail crash site, source says
By Reuters
January 19, 2026 10:04 AM EST Updated 2 hours ago
Two high-speed trains derail in Spain
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A firefighter and members of the Spanish Civil Guard 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
Summary
• Faulty joint identified as key to Spanish train crash investigation - source briefed on initial probe
• Spanish rail operator and transport ministry did not immediately comment
• President of train operator Renfe rules out human error in train derailment
ADAMUZ, Spain, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Experts probing the cause of Sunday's derailment of a high-speed train in Spain, which killed at least 39 people, found a broken joint on the rails, according to a source briefed on initial investigations into the disaster.
The derailed carriages smashed into an oncoming train, pushing it off the tracks and down an embankment in one of the worst train disasters in Europe in modern times. ... The accident happened near Adamuz in the southern province of Cordoba, about 360 km (220 miles) south of the capital Madrid.
Technicians on site analysing the rails identified some wear on the joint between sections of the rail, known as a fishplate, which they said showed the fault had been there for some time, the source said. ... They found that the faulty joint created a gap between the rail sections that widened as trains continued to travel on the track.
The source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the technicians believe the faulty joint is key to identifying the precise cause of the accident.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/investigators-find-broken-joint-track-spanish-rail-crash-site-source-says-2026-01-19/
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