Two dozen Adif rail officials called to testify in Alvia crash inquiry

The judge investigating July’s Alvia train crash, which left 79 people dead in Santiago de Compostela, issued subpoenas on Tuesday for nearly two dozen rail managers to testify as official targets in the inquiry.

Among the 23 that will appear before Judge Luis Aláez are three past presidents of Adif, the manager of Spain’s railway system. In handing down his ruling Aláez said that there was a “serious lack of oversight by those responsible when it came to preventive as well as correctives measures.”

The driver of the passenger train, who is also under investigation was going at 180km/h near a bend in Santiago de Compostela that had a limit of 80km/h, causing the crash.

Five rail workers have already been named as targets of the inquiry.