Spain’s high-speed rail network faces a crisis of confidence after the recent Urda accident, with safety and infrastructure funding emerging as issues ahead of the general election scheduled for November 29. The debate has also revived questions about the 2013 Angrois crash and whether Spain’s extensive rail network receives enough investment for maintenance.
The article reports that 115 people have died this year while travelling on high-speed trains. It also recalls the Angrois disaster, where 80 people died and 150 were injured after an Alvia train derailed in July 2013. The train was travelling at 190 km/h on a curve with an 80 km/h limit. The automatic ERTMS braking system was not operating; the article says it had been disconnected at Renfe’s request and with Adif’s authorisation after technical problems caused delays.
The Urda accident has prompted fresh questions about responsibility and confidence in the system. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said restoring public trust is a priority, while Transport Minister Óscar Puente has raised the possibility of closing the Madrid–Barcelona line for up to two years for a safety review. Catalan president Salvador Illa has said he does not consider such a suspension necessary.
The article places these concerns against a longer-term funding problem. Spain built a high-speed network of about 4,000 kilometres, the largest in Europe, and is constructing a further 700 kilometres, with another 700 planned. Investment in major infrastructure was especially high between 1985 and 2008, but fell sharply after the financial crisis. A 2020 report by Spain’s Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility warned of an imbalance between investment and maintenance. A later study by transport economists Anna Matas and José Manuel Vassallo reached similar conclusions.
The maintenance shortfall is particularly clear on roads: the article says public administrations spend less than 55% of what is considered necessary, leaving an estimated €2 billion annual gap. Rail maintenance is harder to quantify, but technical sources cited in the article also regard spending as insufficient.
Rail liberalisation has substantially increased passenger numbers and lowered fares, while service quality has declined. Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo now compete on the busiest routes. According to the latest figures from Spain’s National Commission on Markets and Competition cited in the article, commercial high-speed rail carried 44.5 million passengers in 2025, twice the 2019 total, while fares fell by more than 40% after liberalisation. At the same time, passenger satisfaction dropped by 22 points between 2020 and 2025.
The article argues that the election debate will include whether Spain can maintain its infrastructure more effectively while paying less in taxes—and where the funding for that work would come from.
Sources: La Vanguardia.