The track where a collision between two high-speed trains in Spain left 46 people dead in January broke the day before and went undetected, Spanish media reported investigators as saying on Wednesday.
The January 18th accident in the southern region of Andalusia was one of Europe’s deadliest such catastrophes this century and has prompted scrutiny of the safety of Spain’s railway network.
The disaster happened when a Madrid-bound service run by private firm Iryo derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, smashing into an oncoming train operated by state company Renfe.
A preliminary report published in January by Spain’s railway accident investigatory committee (CIAF) suggested the track was cracked before the derailment.
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The Civil Guard police force has presented a new report to a court handling the investigation into the accident in which the breakage is recorded at 9.46 pm on January 17, Spanish media said, quoting the document.
Although “an electrical alteration consistent with a break” was registered, the signalling system “was not configured to automatically raise the alarm about it due to the lack of reliability”, media quoted the March 27 report as saying.
The Civil Guard said the voltage variation from the evening of January 17th until the accident “is not usual”, but that the technical possibility of receiving alerts about it “will have to be clarified”.
The report also ruled out sabotage, terrorism and negligence by the train drivers.
The CIAF investigation which will provide final conclusions is ongoing.
