68 killed in HSR incident in Spain

[chitown_boy]

At least the metro to MAD is good and they are opening an express rail link between BCN and Barcelona city centre!
Oh wait ...

Well…do I have a hot tip for you! Abandon oneworld and arrive MAD via Ryanair in T1 arrivals. Bus 203 right outside for 5 euros (can pay on board) takes you directly to plaza cibeles city centre in 23 minutes (with one intermediate stop). I once made it to gran via within 35min of landing ! No idea why T4 is such a nightmare via the trains…

BCN - rodalies R2 Sud from T2 is perfectly servicable to Sants in 19min (same line also goes down to Sitges if you’re that way inclined) And they take the cheap 11 euro T-casual 10 trips (to Sants not south)

 

[markis10]

Agree with pretty much everything you say except I’m not aware of any major Japanese incidents?

Statistics (Railway)

jtsb.mlit.go.jp

8 collisions since the turn of the century, Shigaraki in 1991 killed 42 and injured 600+

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Well…do I have a hot tip for you! Abandon oneworld and arrive MAD via Ryanair in T1 arrivals. Bus 203 right outside for 5 euros (can pay on board) takes you directly to plaza cibeles city centre in 23 minutes (with one intermediate stop). I once made it to gran via within 35min of landing ! No idea why T4 is such a nightmare via the trains…

BCN - rodalies R2 Sud from T2 is perfectly servicable to Sants in 19min (same line also goes down to Sitges if you’re that way inclined) And they take the cheap 11 euro T-casual 10 trips (to Sants not south)

I have flown Ryanair twice in my life and I will take that statistic to my grave.

There can be a wait for trains at T4. I usually take a Bolt - not too expensive.
Cheaper than Uber. I stopped using them at MAD after a driver tried to do deliveries (I suspect he was dealing) on the way to my hotel.
He was startled when I asked him why he wasn't on the motorway - in Spanish.

 

[chitown_boy]

I have flown Ryanair twice in my life and I will take that statistic to my grave.

There can be a wait for trains at T4. I usually take a Bolt - not too expensive.
Cheaper than Uber. I stopped using them at MAD after a driver tried to do deliveries (I suspect he was dealing) on the way to my hotel.
He was startled when I asked him why he wasn't on the motorway - in Spanish.

It was a strictly do I as I say, not as I do. I don’t intend on taking another ryanair flight or madrid bus again lol

But for the frugal traveller ! Which also works out to be the fastest way out if the bus arrives when you exit…the T4 uber situation is organised but it’s a 5-10min walk to the car park…

 

[elanshin]

At least the metro to MAD is good and they are opening an express rail link between BCN and Barcelona city centre!
Oh wait ...

It depends where you're going I guess. It was pretty easy to take the train to the cathedral area when I was last there. I could've taken a bolt, but felt like just going through the train system.

 

[Cynicor]

Statistics (Railway)

jtsb.mlit.go.jp

8 collisions since the turn of the century, Shigaraki in 1991 killed 42 and injured 600+

Those weren’t HSR? I don’t think there’s been any hsr deaths.

 

[Quickstatus]

I don’t think there’s been any hsr deaths.

The other 2 in JPn were Commuter trains . Not sure if they are "high Speed"

 

[Melburnian1]

I recall the road toll in Victoria alone being around 1,000. The current numbers may be rising but they have reduced dramatically overall, over the years. Not because of enforcement, or training, or even better roads. The engineers can take the credit for this.

In 1970, the Victorian road toll was a staggering 1061. In 2026, with less than two months to go: 229.

Melbourne had 2.334 million residents in 1970: today about 5.5 million.

The initial reduction came after 'The Herald' and 'Sun News Pictorial' as they were then campaigned, and in December 1970, the long serving Victorian Liberal state government of Sir Henry Bolte had legislation passed that required car drivers and front seat passengers to wear seatbelts.

The Spanish high speed rail crashes are troubling, because HSR has an excellent safety record worldwide. A good idea to wait for the reports that will hopefully establish the cause(s) and most importantly make recommendations for improvements, assuming reports aren't doctored or otherwise subject to government interference.

In context, HSR around the world annually carries three billion passenger journeys. Thankfully, loss of life for passengers is very rare.

 

[moa999]

I think the Spain incident is particularly troubling as it's not the first in Spain (Jan 2026 incident that cost 46 lives, and July 2013 80), and it's a relatively new (1992) system, albeit they were updating technology.