The causes are still under investigation. According to the account given by the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, the LZB safety system suffered a communications fault that forced several trains to stop. The Adif control centre then authorised the AVE to resume its journey while the Iryo train remained at a standstill. The Civil Guard has questioned the control centre operator, and the Railway Accident Investigation Commission has begun its technical work to establish responsibility.
The accident comes nine months after the one in Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, where 46 people died in January in another collision that also involved an Iryo train and a Renfe train.
High-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia remain suspended, and Adif has not announced a reopening date. Renfe has blocked ticket sales on this route until 13 December, although it points out that this does not mean trains will be suspended until then. Ouigo has cancelled its services to Andalusia until at least 2 November.
The closure comes at a delicate moment for tourism in Andalusia. The rail corridor linking Madrid with Córdoba, Seville and Málaga is the main gateway into the region for domestic visitors and for a large share of the international tourists who arrive in Spain through Madrid-Barajas airport and continue their journey south.
Andalusia ended 2025 with the best tourism year in its history. It welcomed 37.9 million visitors, 5.2% more than the previous year, and the sector's total economic impact exceeded 30 billion euros. Tourism employed an average of 482,000 people and generated 43% of all the jobs created in the region. Andalusia is also the leading destination for Spanish travellers, with a 21% share of hotel stays.
If the disruption lasts for weeks, as Renfe's suspension of ticket sales suggests, the impact could be felt over the All Saints' weekend, during autumn breaks, at conferences and at the start of the Christmas season. Some travellers are likely to postpone their plans or shorten their stays, and visitors are expected to concentrate in cities with airports. Inland destinations that depend on the train, with Córdoba at the forefront, would be the most exposed.
To soften the impact of the closure, the airline Iberia has moved quickly. It has increased its capacity to and from Andalusia by 20%, adding 520 seats, 362 on the Madrid–Málaga route and 158 on the Madrid–Seville route. To do so, it has scheduled larger aircraft and additional flights. It has also capped fares at 99 euros per journey in economy and 149 euros in Business on all its flights to and from Andalusia, a measure that will remain in force until 8 November. Air Europa has also stepped up its services to Málaga and Seville.
The additional flights ease the pressure of the first few days, but they cannot replace the capacity of a high-speed rail corridor. The course of Andalusian tourism over the coming months will depend on how quickly the line reopens and on travellers' confidence in the train.
