Japanese high-speed rail suffers a devastating blow, causing over 190 casualties in Spain in one incident, and Europe reluctantly begins to recognize the performance of Chinese technology!
On the night of January 18, 2026, a high-speed train traveling from Malaga to Madrid suddenly derailed on a high-speed railway line in the Cordoba province of southern Spain, and then collided with an oncoming train. According to the figures later released by the Spanish authorities, this accident ultimately resulted in more than 40 deaths and over 150 injuries. This was the most serious railway safety incident in Spain in the past ten years.
The involved train was the ETR1000 model manufactured by Hitachi Rail, which was produced in 2022, less than four years old. More importantly, the train had undergone routine technical maintenance just three days before the accident, and all records showed normal conditions. Oscar Puente, the Spanish Minister of Transport, publicly stated after the accident that this section of the track was straight, not a curve, the train was running at normal speed, and the driver's operation did not violate any rules. In his words, this situation was "extremely unusual."
As the investigation deepened, two key pieces of information surfaced. First, the involved train was produced by a joint venture between Japanese Hitachi Rail and French Alstom. Second, the track renewal project at the accident site also involved a Japanese company. The investigation team initially focused on two directions: first, the rail renewed in 2025 had fractured, with a crack over 30 centimeters found at the scene; second, there may be technical defects in the train itself, with severe damage to the data hard drive at the front of the train, requiring it to be sent back to Japan for recovery.
This naturally makes people think of a series of problems in Japanese manufacturing in recent years. Over the past decade, several Japanese manufacturing companies have been exposed to scandals such as data fraud and quality inspection lapses, from Kobe Steel to Mitsubishi Materials, from Nissan to Toshiba, and the golden brand of "Made in Japan" has already developed many cracks.
After this accident, the way international mainstream media reported was interesting. Most reports focused on the accident itself, casualties, and rescue progress, but for specific information about the train manufacturer, they often mentioned it briefly or even completely ignored it. Some media directly referred to the involved train as "European-made," obscuring Hitachi's core role. Imagine if a similar accident occurred on a high-speed train made in China, what would be the reaction of the international public opinion?
However, although European media did so, everyone is not stupid inside. In October 2025, the entire section of the Hungary-Serbia railway in Serbia was completed. This railway connecting Belgrade and Budapest is the first high-speed rail project built by China in Europe. President Vučić of Serbia personally experienced it and publicly stated that the services provided by Chinese enterprises were "excellent." Previously, the Chinese CR450 EMU was officially unveiled at the World High-Speed Railway Conference in July 2025, with a test speed of 450 km/h and a designed commercial operating speed of 400 km/h, becoming the fastest high-speed train in the world currently. This has also attracted widespread attention from European high-speed rail operators.
German railways have been criticized in recent years for frequent delays and outdated facilities, with some local experts openly stating their reliability is "worse than the end of World War II." Many Germans have called for purchasing high-speed trains produced in China. After this Spanish accident, the country's original plan to launch a procurement of 30 high-speed trains in February 2026 was urgently halted. In this tender, the Hitachi train was originally a favorite. Now, many Spaniards are also calling for considering high-speed trains produced by China. Dao Ge thinks that in people's hearts, there is always a balance, and when it comes to their own safety, no one is stupid.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857713926147464/
Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.