In Spain, repeated train accidents push users to take the plane, the bus or the car

Two deadly train accidents this year in Spain have diverted travelers from the world's second largest high-speed network. A worrying situation for a country heavily dependent on tourism and business travel. The October 28 collision, which left 69 dead, led to the closure of the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line for the second time in nine months, forcing its approximately 19,000 daily travelers to find other solutions. The line remains closed.

According to data from CNMC, the Spanish competition authority, the number of passengers on long-distance high-speed lines fell by 15% between January and June, to 18.7 million, after the high-speed train collision in January near the village of Adamuz, in southern Spain, which left 46 dead.

Most travelers have shifted to rental cars and domestic flights. According to Reuters calculations, this drop represents almost six times the impact that would normally have been expected from a 30-day closure of the line.

“I chose the bus”

The consequences of the latest accident have not yet been quantified, but they could be more significant, according to experts. They fear a further erosion of confidence in the safety of travel in Spain, the second most visited country in the world after France. “All accidents are serious, but when two occur in just nine months… the repercussions on reputation are considerable,” explains Juan Pedro Aznar, researcher at the Esade business school. Restoring trust, he says, will require making technical fixes a political priority.

Carlos Garrido, president of Mesa del Turismo, an organization representing the tourism sector, urged authorities to present a comprehensive plan for infrastructure and its maintenance. Isobel Hamilton, a 50-year-old Canadian tourist, said the latest accident prompted her and her husband to change their plans and take the bus for their trips outside Madrid. “We weren’t comfortable with the idea of ​​keeping a train journey in our schedule… Even if everything had been restored and functioning normally, I think I would still have chosen the bus,” she confides.

This week, the Spanish government approved a decree providing for measures to strengthen railway safety and the social protection of train drivers and control center staff. The main drivers' union welcomed the measures as a first concrete step towards improving safety. The Transport Ministry could not immediately be reached for comment on possible additional measures.

Andalusia takes stock

Although most international tourists arrive by plane, the high-speed network has largely contributed, over recent decades, to the development of major Spanish tourist and business destinations. The Chamber of Commerce of Seville, capital of Andalusia, estimates that the additional connections provided by plane, coach and car only compensate 60% of the interrupted rail traffic. Daily losses for the region would reach nearly 1.5 million euros.

Last-minute flight bookings have increased by up to 61% since the start of November, according to an industry source. The disruptions also caused a surge in demand for ridesharing. Testimonies also indicate that customers also favor rental cars and coaches rather than the slower trains which continue to serve the south of the country. “In the long term, we will eventually regain confidence in rail services, provided there are no other accidents,” says Marc Selgas, professor at St. Pol Hospitality & Culinary Business School in Barcelona.