Spain’s latest collision recalls Europe’s deadliest rail crashes
Latest collision comes nine months after a deadly crash near Adamuz, renewing scrutiny of rail safety in Spain. Major disasters in Greece, Italy, Portugal and other European countries have killed scores of passengers since 2010. Accident investigations have examined a range of causes, from human error to infrastructure and safety-system failures.
A collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain killed at least 64 people on Wednesday, according to regional authorities, bringing another major disaster to a country still dealing with the aftermath of January’s deadly Adamuz crash.
Renfe AVE train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo service on the Madrid-Seville line on Oct. 28, derailing two carriages that fell down an embankment. The trains carried 397 and 147 passengers, respectively, regional spokeswoman Esther Padilla said.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene as authorities worked to reach trapped passengers. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled scheduled engagements to monitor the response. The cause remained unknown, and officials warned the death toll could rise.
It came nine months after an Iryo train derailed into the path of an oncoming Renfe service near Adamuz in southern Spain, killing 46 people.
Here is a look at some of Europe’s deadliest passenger train, metro and funicular crashes in recent years, and the investigations and legal proceedings that followed.
An Iryo train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in Cordoba province on Jan. 18, 2026. Its rear carriages entered the adjacent track and collided with a Renfe Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Huelva.
The death toll eventually reached 46 after a 42-year-old passenger died in hospital on Jan. 30. The disaster was Spain’s deadliest rail crash since the 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela.
Investigators focused on a broken rail and a possible failure at a welded joint.
RTVE reported in September that a Guardia Civil inspection document identified a fracture where rail segments manufactured in 1989 and 2023 had been joined.
The findings strengthened an existing hypothesis but did not establish a final cause.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said laboratory examinations were needed before conclusions could be drawn, underscoring the distinction between evidence of a fracture and proof of how the crash began.
Gloria funicular, Lisbon, Portugal (2025)
The Gloria funicular derailed on a steep central Lisbon street on Sept. 3, 2025, and crashed into a building, killing 16 people. Portuguese news agency Lusa later reported 24 injured, including nine seriously.
Inaugurated in 1885, the service connects Restauradores Square with the Bairro Alto neighborhood. Its two cabins are linked by a cable, with the descending cabin helping counterbalance the one climbing the hill.
The cable broke at its attachment to one cabin.
An October 2025 preliminary investigation found that it failed to meet specifications and was not certified for passenger transport, while also identifying maintenance and oversight shortcomings.
Investigators cautioned that its noncompliance had not yet been established as the reason it broke.
Portugal declared a day of national mourning, and other Lisbon funicular services were halted for inspections.
By the first anniversary, investigators had postponed publication of their final report until the first quarter of 2027 because of the complexity of technical examinations.
Tempi, near Larissa, Greece (2023)
A passenger train carrying more than 350 people collided head-on with a freight train near Tempi, close to Larissa, on Feb. 28, 2023. The impact derailed carriages and triggered a fire, killing 57 people in Greece’s deadliest rail disaster.
Many victims were university students returning to Thessaloniki, while nine railway crew members were also among the dead. The trains had been traveling in opposite directions on the same track.
An investigation report released on Feb. 27, 2025, described a combination of human error, inadequate training, outdated infrastructure and systemic failures.
It examined how an undertrained stationmaster at an understaffed Larissa station routed the passenger service onto the track used by the oncoming freight train.
The aftermath extended beyond the crash investigation.
On its second anniversary, a general strike and mass demonstrations brought much of Greece to a halt, with victims’ families and supporters demanding accountability and safer railways.
Andria–Corato, Puglia, Italy (2016)
Two trains operated by Ferrotramviaria collided head-on between Andria and Corato in southern Italy on July 12, 2016, killing 23 people and injuring dozens.
The crash occurred on a single-track section of the Bari-Barletta railway, near a bend bordered by olive groves that restricted the drivers’ view of one another.
The front carriages were destroyed, while the absence of a direct access road complicated rescue efforts in the summer heat.
Train movements on the section were controlled through a telephone system: stationmasters had to obtain clearance from the next station before authorizing departure. The investigation examined failures in those safety procedures.
On Oct. 7, 2026, Italy’s Court of Cassation upheld the convictions of two railway workers and the acquittals of Ferrotramviaria and two managers.
According to ANSA, the final ruling attributed the collision to human error rather than a failure to invest in safety.
Santiago de Compostela, Spain (2013)
An Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Ferrol derailed on the A Grandeira curve near Santiago de Compostela on July 24, 2013, and struck a concrete wall.
Black box data showed that the train was traveling at 179 kilometers per hour when it derailed on a section limited to 80 kilometers per hour. The driver had been distracted by a work-related telephone call and failed to slow down sufficiently before the curve.
The widely reported death toll was 80, although a 2024 court ruling attributed 79 deaths directly to the crash, finding that one passenger’s later death resulted from a serious pre-existing illness.
In January 2026, an appeals court upheld the driver’s sentence of two-and-a-half years for negligent homicide and injuries. It acquitted a former Adif safety director who had also been convicted at the initial trial, a decision opposed by one of the three judges.
Buizingen, near Brussels, Belgium (2010)
Two passenger trains collided almost head-on near Buizingen, southwest of Brussels, on Feb. 15, 2010, killing 19 people and injuring 171.
A local train traveling from Leuven to Braine-le-Comte collided with an InterCity service from Quievrain to Liege during the morning rush hour. The official investigation reconstructed the accident as following the local train’s passage beyond a red signal at about 60 kilometers per hour.
The driver applied the emergency brake after seeing the other train crossing its path, but could not prevent the collision. A third train approaching the scene stopped in time.
Investigators concluded that relying on drivers’ compliance with signals was insufficient and called for automatic speed and braking protection. Rail operator SNCB and infrastructure manager Infrabel were subsequently found partly responsible and fined following legal proceedings.
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