This significant decline, revealed by the National Statistics Institute (INE), follows the serious railway accident that occurred on January 18 in Adamuz, Córdoba. The incident, which involved the derailment of two high-speed trains, has been the deadliest in Spain since the Santiago de Compostela tragedy in 2013.

The Adamuz incident, where an Iryo service bound for Madrid derailed and collided with an oncoming train destined for Huelva, resulted in 46 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. This event not only caused the temporary suspension of some lines but also kept others closed for a considerable period, such as the connection between Málaga and Madrid.

Public confidence in the rail network was further impacted by other high-profile accidents that followed the Adamuz disaster, including a fatal crash in Catalonia. In this incident, a trainee driver was killed and nearly 40 passengers were injured when an R4 Rodalies commuter train derailed between Gelida and Sant Sadurní, near Barcelona.

The Catalan train collided with a retaining wall that collapsed onto the tracks due to heavy rains from Storm Harry. Following this derailment, service on the entire Rodalies network was suspended for track inspections. Although service was partially restored on January 24, the network has remained in a state of disarray, with lingering safety concerns. The affected section of the track was only reopened earlier this week, after more than two months of disruption.