Spain train disaster probe suggests track was cracked

Notches “with a compatible geometric pattern” were also found on the right-sided wheels of three other trains that had travelled on the same track in the hours before the accident, the CIAF added.

Based on the available information, “we can put forward the hypothesis that the cracking of the track took place before the passage of the Iryo train that suffered the accident, and therefore before the derailment”, it wrote.

The CIAF cautioned that “this hypothesis… must be corroborated by later detailed calculations and analysis”.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente has said the flat, straight stretch of track in question had been recently renovated, while the Iryo train was “practically new”.

Human error has also been ruled out as the trains were travelling within the speed limit.

Investigators continue to examine the scene for evidence.