Ignacio Barrón, president of the CIAF, appeared before the Senate to clarify the causes of the railway accident that occurred on January 18 in Adamuz. While he described the event as "fortuitous and with an enormous amount of bad luck," Barrón noted that rail breaks are common in the Spanish network, though rarely with serious consequences.
The head of the investigation indicated that it is still unknown whether the failure originated in the rail itself or in the welding connecting the rail segments, work carried out in May 2024 as part of the line's renovation. Despite questions about the relationship between the works and the incident, Barrón stated that there is insufficient evidence to support that hypothesis and that the investigation remains open.
“"The break that caused the derailment in Adamuz was atypical."
Barrón also criticized the organizational model of the Spanish railway system, pointing to a "governance and management problem." He advocated for the unification of Adif and Renfe under a single strategic direction and described the number of simultaneous works on the network as "unacceptable," arguing that resources allocated to modernization have been "misused" without prioritizing safety.
Furthermore, the CIAF president was critical of Adif's decision not to make public the Temporary Speed Restrictions (LTV) and its failure to listen to train drivers. He emphasized Adif's systematic non-compliance with CIAF recommendations, which he considers a serious failure in railway safety management that needs urgent correction.
