After Adamuz, the traffic on Spain’s high speed rail network dropped by a third

The number of passengers on Spain’s once-recognized high-speed rail system has dropped by nearly a quarter since the Adamuz train accident, according to newly released statistics.

According to figures released Friday by the National Statistics Institute of India (INE), high-speed rail use dropped by 32.1% to 2.16 millions passengers in February.

It is the lowest number since February 2021, at the height the Covid-19 pandemic.

This sharp drop contributed to a 15.8% overall decline in passengers on Spain’s railway network, bringing the total down to 49 million passengers.

The drop coincided after the January 18th, when two high-speed train derailed in Adamuz (Cordoba), in Spain’s deadliest railway accident since 80 deaths in Santiago de Compostela were recorded in 2013.

After the rear carriages of a Madrid bound Iryo train carrying more than 300 passengers flipped on to an adjacent track and collided into an oncoming Huelva-bound train, 46 people died and hundreds were injured.

Some lines have been temporarily suspended while others remain closed for extended periods of time. One example is the Malaga-Madrid line.

READ MORE: Revealed: Madrid–Malaga high-speed rail shutdown after Adamuz disaster has cost the Costa del Sol €109 million in lost tourism

The public’s confidence in the network was also affected by a number of high-profile accidents that followed Adamuz. This included a fatal accident in Catalunya.

Nearly 40 passengers were hurt after the R4 Rodalies commuter train between Gelida, near Barcelona, and Sant Sadumi came off its tracks.

A retaining wall collapsed on the track after a heavy rain spell during Storm Harry.

The entire Rodalies train network was suspended following the derailment to allow track inspections.

A portion of the service was restored by January 24, but since then, the network remains in disarray amid persistent safety concerns.

After more than two month of disruption, the impacted section was reopened only this week.

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