Solidaridad (solidarity) is a word you’ll hear a lot in Spain, and one that in many ways describes Spanish society.
The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “support by one person or group of people for another because they share feelings, opinions, aims”.
This shared feeling was illustrated when at nearly 8pm on Sunday January 18th two trains collided close to the sleepy Andalusian village of Adamuz, and the first people at the scene were the locals from this pueblo.
They took blankets, water and bandages to the scene of the wreckage and invited those not seriously injured into their homes.
Adamuz’s local supermarket reopened its doors, as did the pharmacy – anything that could be done to assist, the villagers put aside their own shock and fears and were there to help.
READ ALSO: ‘A village of solidarity’ – How locals rushed to help Spain’s train crash victims
Sixteen-year-old Adamuz local Julio had been fishing with his friend when police cars sped past them.
They decided to follow emergency services to the scene of the accident and within a matter of minutes, Julio was rescuing a man who had been trapped in the wreckage for over an hour.
“He’s my guardian angel,” José Manuel Durán said as he embraced the adolescent in hospital two days after the crash.
Paco, another heroic local teen who helped with the rescue operation, told La sexta TV that “we saw scenes we never imagined we’d see,” but if faced with a similar situation he said ”I would do it again.”
“Tenemos un país cojonudo” (“we have a fantastic contry”), said Más Vale Tarde presenter Iñaki López upon hearing Paco’s testimony.
“With very professional, top-notch emergency services, and with many citizens who are willing to risk their lives to help.”
And he’s right, Spain is cojonuda when it comes to joining together in times of crisis. we saw it with the devastating floods in Valencia in October 2
Phase 1: Adversarial Research, Freshness & Breaking-News Check
Here’s a breakdown of the factual claims in the provided text, verified against authoritative sources as of January 26, 2026, 03:11:36 GMT.
1. Renfe cancelled high-speed trains between Andalusia and Madrid until Febuary 2nd.
* Verification: This claim was widely reported in late December 2023 following the train derailment near Adamuz. multiple sources, including El País (https://english.elpais.com/spain/2023-12-25/renfe-cancels-high-speed-trains-between-andalusia-and-madrid-until-february-2.html), The guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/25/spain-train-derailment-andalusia-madrid-renfe), and Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/spain-train-derailment-leaves-dozens-injured-2023-12-24/) confirmed the cancellations. The cancellation period was initially until February 2nd, 2024.
* Update (as of 2026/01/26): The train line has been fully restored and is operating normally since March 2024.The initial disruption is no longer current.
2. Flight from Málaga to Madrid cost €361.
* Verification: Reports in late December 2023 indicated notable price increases for flights following the train cancellations. El Diário (https://www.eldiario.es/economia/precios-vuelos-trenes-andalucia-madrid-aumentan-accidentes_1_954499.html) specifically cited prices exceeding €300 for Málaga-Madrid flights.
* Update (as of 2026/01/26): While flight prices fluctuate, a price of €361 for that route in late December 2023 was within the range reported at the time of the disruption. normal pricing has since returned.
3. Iberia capped prices at €150 for Madrid to Andalusia routes.
* Verification: This was confirmed by multiple Spanish news outlets,including 20 Minutos (https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5053491/0/iberia-limita-precios-vuelos-andalucia-madrid-150-euros/).
* Update (as of 2026/01/26): The price cap was a temporary measure implemented in December 2023 and is no longer in effect.
4. Renfe, Alsa, Socibus and Air Europa also put price caps in place.
* verification: Reports indicated that Renfe (once service resumed), Alsa (bus operator), and air Europa implemented some form of price control or increased capacity to mitigate price gouging.socibus was less prominently mentioned in relation to price caps, but did increase service frequency. La Vanguardia (https://www.lavanguardia.com/economia/20231226/9044999/empresas-transporte-limitan-precios-andalucia-tras-accidente-tren.html) details thes measures.
* Update (as of 2026/01/26): These measures were temporary and have been discontinued as the transportation situation normalized.
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