The definitive expert report on the causes of the derailment that led to the death of 46 people after two trains collided in Adamuz is not expected before the first half of next year. Judge Cristina Pastor has commissioned the study to three experts who estimate a minimum of nine months of work and a budget of €250,000.

The experts, Ramón Ignacio Martínez, José Antonio Martínez, and Miguel Ángel Moraleda, warned in a letter sent on May 26th to the judge in Montoro that the amount could increase due to the complexity of the matter. The nine-month period has not yet begun to be counted and will only start once the experts receive all the case documentation, including reports from the Guardia Civil and the Railway Accident Investigation Commission.

The estimated cost includes approximately 1,500 hours of work at €125 per hour, totaling €187,500 plus VAT. An additional 10% is allocated for travel and expenses, bringing the total budget to €249,562.50. The experts have requested an initial fund provision of 30% of the fees and 50% of the estimated expenses, amounting to €79,406.25 including VAT.

Judge Cristina Pastor formalized the appointment of these experts at the end of April, after requesting a proposal of qualified professionals from the Official College of Civil Engineers of Córdoba. The objective is to obtain an independent technical opinion that confirms or refutes the main hypothesis of track breakage as the cause of the accident.

The experts will analyze potential negligence in maintenance, the functioning of detection systems, and the interpretation of warning signals, as well as the decisions made by railway safety officials. Victims' families consider the timeframe excessive, but legal experts agree that the technical complexity justifies it to ensure a rigorous and complete report.