Train Driver, Safety Official Convicted Over Spain’s Worst Train Crash in Decades

MADRID – A Spanish train driver and a former traffic safety chief at the national rail infrastructure operator ADIF were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on Friday for their roles in a catastrophic train disaster that claimed 79 lives 11 years ago.

The tragedy, which stands as Spain’s most devastating rail accident in decades, occurred when the eight-carriage high-speed Alvia 04155 train derailed on a sharp bend near Santiago de Compostela in the northwest. The train collided with a concrete wall and caught fire, resulting in 79 deaths and injuries to 143 others.

Presiding judge Elena Fernandez Curras identified two critical factors leading to the derailment: the driver’s distraction due to a phone call and the absence of a safety system to enforce the speed limit. In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants, along with ADIF and Renfe’s insurance companies, were ordered to pay 25 million euros ($27.14 million) in damages to the victims.

Following the crash, ADIF reviewed the Spanish railway network and pinpointed over 300 locations where speed changes were necessary. The judicial process, marked by complexity and lengthy investigations, culminated in a 10-month trial. Out of more than 20 individuals initially investigated, only two were brought to trial.

Judge Fernandez adjusted the official death toll to 79 from the previously reported 80, determining that one passenger’s death weeks after the crash was due to a serious pre-existing illness rather than injuries from the crash. Nonetheless, his family will still receive compensation for the injuries he sustained.