TA: Rail technology is ready, is leadership prepared to act?

I arrived in Barcelona at 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, unaware that another train to the same city had derailed forty minutes earlier. My long-distance train had stopped unexpectedly outside the city.

There was an announcement after the incident, which seemed normal at the time. A simple delay, that we would be en route in a few minutes, but travelling at a reduced speed for the remainder of our journey. I learned the reason for the delay later on.

By Wednesday morning, no Rodalies trains in or out of Barcelona. Two serious rail accidents in Spain within days had already claimed lives. Routine journeys that ended in tragedy. I send my deepest condolences to the families of those affected.

I have written about rail technology before, focusing on innovation, competition, and progress. This week, it demands a hard look at where technology can protect lives, where it fails, and where leadership and government must act.

Rail is one of the safest forms of transport in the world, but it is also incomplete because safety does not exist in theory. It depends on investment, maintenance, governance, and prioritising the modernisation of aging infrastructure.

The full research note was posted first in the publication "Tomorrow's Affairs" on January 25th 2026

Read here