SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA — 2013 · Major Tragedy
Angrois Train Crash
At 20:41 on the evening of 24 July 2013, an Alvia high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Ferrol entered the Angrois curve near Santiago de Compostela at about 190 km/h, where the limit was 80 km/h, and derailed. Seventy-nine people died and 143 were injured, making it Spain's deadliest rail accident in decades. It emerged that the driver had been on the phone with Renfe staff about the route moments before the crash. The investigation also showed that the ERTMS automatic speed control system was not present on the section leading into the curve. In July 2024 a court sentenced the driver and the safety director of infrastructure company Adif to two and a half years in prison each.
- Date
- 2013
- Place
- Galicia, Spain, Santiago de Compostela, ES
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 42.8706, -8.5197 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 24 July 2013, 20:41The Alvia train derailed on the Angrois curve; 79 people died.
- July 2013The driver was detained and charged.
- October 2022The lengthy trial opened in Santiago.
- July 2024The driver and Adif's safety director were each sentenced to two and a half years.
Sources
- BBC News — Dozens die as Spanish train derails in Galicia bbc.co.uk ↗
- CNN — Spanish train driver charged in deadly crash cnn.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Santiago de Compostela derailment en.wikipedia.org ↗
- BBC News
- CNN
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.