Investigators looking into the train accident in southern Spain, which resulted in the death of at least 39 people, have identified a faulty rail joint, according to a source cited by Reuters.
Technicians say the defect had been present for some time and could be crucial in determining the exact cause of the tragedy.
The accident occurred near the town of Adamuz, in the province of Cordoba, about 360 kilometers south of Madrid. Several cars of a high-speed train derailed and collided with another train traveling in the opposite direction, pushing it off the tracks and causing it to crash onto an embankment, in one of the worst rail accidents in Western Europe in recent decades.
Significant rail wear
According to Reuters, experts on site found significant wear at the joint plate between two rail sections. The defect created a gap between the rail segments, which gradually widened as the trains continued to pass over that section.
Investigators believe that this faulty joint is a key element in reconstructing the accident. The area has been cordoned off by the police, marked for evidence, and photographed by forensic experts.
“Human error is practically excluded”
The Spanish Commission for Railway Accidents Investigation, CIAF, as well as the infrastructure administrator, Adif, have not yet commented on the preliminary findings. The Ministry of Transport has also not responded to requests for clarification.
The President of Renfe (Spain's state railway operator), Álvaro Fernández Heredia, stated on Cadena Ser radio that it is too early to speak about a certain cause, but emphasized that the accident occurred under “strange conditions” and that “human error is practically excluded.”
What the initial technical conclusions show
According to preliminary information, the first cars of the Iryo-operated train passed over the gap in the rail, but the eighth and last car derailed, pulling the front cars off track as well. Iryo is a privately operated company majority-controlled by the Italian rail group Ferrovie dello Stato.
Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, and the Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, visited the accident site. Sanchez canceled his participation in the World Economic Forum in Davos following the tragedy.
Puente stated that the train was less than four years old and the railway line had been completely renovated last May. The train manufacturer, Hitachi Rail, had conducted a routine inspection on January 15, without identifying any issues. The involved train is a Frecciarossa 1000, the same model used on the high-speed network in Italy.