Spain's rail manager reduces high-speed trains' speed between Barcelona and Madrid to 160 km/h

Spain's rail manager, Adif, has reduced the speed of high-speed trains in a 187-kilometer stretch between Barcelona and Madrid to a maximum of 160 km/h, as announced on Tuesday.

The new speed limit is temporary, as sources of Adif reported, and could be lifted soon "if everything goes well."

The restriction will be implemented from Mejorada del Campo, near Madrid, and Cetina, just 30 kilometers away from Calatayud, both in central Spain.

The decision comes after train drivers had reported several holes in the affected stretch.

Workers at Adif will study the entire infrastructure overnight, and if they believe everything is "goes well," the restriction will be lifted.

On Sunday evening, at 19:39, an Iryo high -speed train crashed with a Renfe Alvia long-distance train, killing at least 41 people in Adamuz, near Córdoba, in Andalusia.

The causes of the fatal accident are still under investigation.

Aside from Adif's decision, high-speed train drivers operating between Barcelona and Madrid had already taken extraordinary precautions. They had been driving at reduced speed, and the Semaf workers' union said that they can reduce speed if they have a justifiable cause.

Spain's transport ministry said that "it is almost safe to say" that normal service will resume on Wednesday. They claim it is just "a movement promoted by the Semaf union to sabotage the train operation and take advantage of the situation."

Accident in Adamuz

The accident happened at 19:39 on Sunday, when the Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed with 317 passengers. It then blocked the other track, where it crashed with an Alvia train, transporting 200 people.

The Alvia also derailed after the crash, and two carriages fell 4 meters.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez visited the site on Monday morning, after canceling his agenda, and announced three days of official mourning.

"Spaniards are wondering what happened, how it has happened, and how this tragedy took place," Sánchez said.

"Time and the work of experts will give us the answers," he added.