Deformation has prompted a need for urgent corrective maintenance on two switches on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line, according to court-appointed experts investigating the Adamuz crash, which killed 46 people. The switches are at the northern end of Adamuz station, between kilometre points 316+900 and 317+500. The collision occurred on 18 January 2026 near Córdoba and involved trains operated by Renfe and Iryo.
The experts did not oppose ADIF-AV’s request to tamp the track, a process that adjusts its level and alignment. They said the work was necessary for rail safety and would not interfere with their investigation. Their concern is that switches 631 and 632 belong to the same phase of a renewal project as switch A645, where a rail-weld failure occurred on 18 January.
ABC reported that the experts set out their concerns in a submission to the Montoro court dated in late October. The panel includes Ramón Ignacio Martínez and José Antonio Martínez. Miguel Ángel Moraleda also signed the submission. They say measurements for switches 631 and 632 have reached the intervention limit and alert limit, levels also recorded during track inspections in October 2025.
The renewal was formally accepted on 19 December 2025, about a month before the crash, and carries a two-year contractual guarantee. That timing matters to the inquiry: the experts say they cannot explain how a newly renewed section deteriorated so quickly.
They have asked the court to require ADIF-AV to supply records that are missing or incomplete. The requested material includes track measurement reports for the Adamuz section, between kilometres 315 and 321, from before the works were accepted. The experts say they have October 2025 analyses but lack measurements taken while the contracts were being carried out.
The submission also identifies a mismatch in the ballast records. ADIF-AV supplied documents for Lot 2 from the Calatrava base, while the experts say Lot 3 from the Hornachuelos base is the one relevant to the section under investigation. They are seeking the complete administrative file for Lot 3, including its technical specifications and quality-control plans. They also want material acceptance tests carried out by the construction joint venture, ADIF or the technical assistance team.
The Urda crash remains part of the recent railway context; RUSSPAIN previously covered the Urda response. The two 2026 disasters killed 46 people at Adamuz and 69 at Urda. BBC News reported on 31 October that the Adamuz investigation remained open, with initial reports pointing to a rail crack; the Urda inquiry, by contrast, has examined signalling and control-system issues. In the Adamuz case, the experts have also asked for the full file on the emergency works used to rebuild the infrastructure after the derailment. They say they have received no documents from that file.
