Adamuz train crash: Junta de Andalucía joins court probe into 46-death accident

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Regional government joins victims in court following the January high-speed collision, demanding "the truth" behind suspected infrastructure failures that has led to Malaga rail crisis

Héctor Barbotta

Sevilla

Thursday, 5 March 2026, 16:52 | Updated 17:29h.

The Andalusian government will formally join the court proceedings in Montoro regarding the Adamuz railway accident that killed 46 people.

This has been announced by the spokesperson of the Junta de Andalucía, Carolina España, who underlined the will of the government to accompany the victims throughout this process.

The Junta is joining Huelva city council, the province of origin of most of the victims, which last week announced its participation in the proceedings.

What is at stake in the Adamuz crash court investigation?

The stakes are incredibly high, as the "working hypothesis" points toward systemic failures rather than human error:

• The Fault Line: Investigators are focusing on a 40-centimetre break in a rail weld—work that was only completed in May 2025.

• Allegations of Cover-up: Perhaps more chilling are the recent reports from the Guardia Civil suggesting that key maintenance documents may have been "manipulated" after the crash.

• Economic Isolation: Beyond the human tragedy, the "railway isolation" of Málaga - caused by the track closure and a subsequent landslide in Álora - is creating a reputational crisis for the province just as the Málaga Film Festival and Easter Week approach.

The Andalusian government has instructed its legal services to prepare the document in which it will request to join the proceedings, in which the causes of the accident and any assignment of responsibility will need to be determined.

The file is being finalised in the coming days, but España announced on Wednesday that the Junta de Andalucía will appear “with complete certainty".

The spokesperson - who underlined the Andalusian government's willingness to support the victims - insisted that the causes of the accident should be known as soon as possible. "We demand the truth and we want to get to the end," said España.

"We have said it on numerous occasions, we have to stand by the victims, we have to defend their interests and we are going to do so. If the best situation is to appear in the case, we will do so," she added.

However, it was not specified when this appearance will take place, although she said it is expected that the government will approve it and that it will do so soon.

Related story

Malaga Film Festival about to start and the tourism sector suffering cancellations in the lead up to Easter.

On Wednesday, the spokesman for the Grupo Popular in the Andalusian parliament, Toni Martín, explained that his party had prepared a non-legislative motion (PNL) to urge the Andalusian government to take part in the case, but it was ultimately agreed that it would be better for the initiative to come from them.