The track was already broken before the accident: the main hypothesis of the investigation in Adamuz

Barcelona / MadridThe Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF)The Spanish Railways (BK_SLT_LNA) issued its first report on Friday regarding the cause of the train accident in Adamuz (Córdoba), suggesting that the leading hypothesis is that the left rail of the track broke before the Iryo train derailment. The condition of the railway tracks on this section of the high-speed line in Córdoba has been a central focus of the authorities' investigation almost from the outset. At the scene of the accident, where an Iryo train carriage overturned and collided with an Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction, resulting in 43 fatalities, a broken section of track was identified, as well as damage to the undercarriage of some of the train cars. marks were detected which could correspond to a rail defect, according to the Spanish government.

Now, according to the six-page document published by the CIAF, the marks found on the wheels and the rail deformation are consistent with the rail being fractured before the Iryo train passed over it, a possibility that had already been raised. The investigation maintains that the track fracture would have caused a slight subsidence of the rail under the weight of the wheels, which would explain the marks detected on cars 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the train. "Car 6 derailed due to a complete loss of track continuity," the report hypothesizes.

The CIAF emphasizes that the marks present a uniform pattern on cars 2, 3, and 4, and that they coincide with the section of broken rail in the area where the derailment began. Furthermore, the fact that these marks only appear on the wheels of the odd-numbered axles suggests that the first wheel of each locomotive—the structure that supports the car—impacted the head of the fractured rail, causing further deformation.

Laboratory confirmation is pending

Investigators have also located similar marks on three other trains that had previously passed through the same spot: one Renfe train (at 7:09 p.m.) and two Iryo trains (at 7:01 p.m. and 5:21 p.m.). This reinforces the hypothesis that the rail fracture occurred before the train involved in the accident passed over the track. However, the commission emphasizes that this is still a provisional hypothesis, which will need to be confirmed with more detailed technical analysis. The report also notes that the marks on car 5 show a different pattern, consistent with an impact in an area where the rail is not continuous, and that this could explain why car 6 was the first to derail. In the coming weeks, the wheels and the rail will be sent to a metallographic laboratory to determine the exact causes of the break, on which there are currently no conclusions. The black boxes of both trains involved will also be analyzed. Once this is done, new lines of investigation can be opened.