As well as the shock and grief caused by Sunday’s high-speed rail crash in Andalucía, southern Spain, in which at least 40 people died, there has also been bewilderment at the apparent lack of an obvious cause. Spain’s rail network has been one of the successes of its democratic era, in particular, its high-speed rail system, the AVE, which was funded by European money following Spain’s incorporation into the EU in 1986. However, in recent months, Spaniards’ faith in their rail system has been shaken, due to a number of incidents. In April, the whole rail system shut down because of a national electricity blackout. That was not the fault of the rail system; it was a failure that affected every sector.

Source: The Irish Times January 20, 2026 05:47 UTC