Spanish public trust in high-speed rail has collapsed after two major accidents, with YouGov data showing a 17-point surge in fears just months after the first deadly crash.
The confidence crisis now spans infrastructure, Adif, and government responsibility, with the perception of danger surging from 43% to 60%.
The data reveals a profound shift. In January, two out of three Spaniards still considered high-speed rail safe despite the Adamuz accident. By October, six out of ten held the opposite view. “La confianza perdida en enero no se recuperó en los meses siguientes”, the YouGov report says, highlighting that lost confidence was not regained between the incidents.
Public opinion does not assign blame uniformly. While the focus has shifted away from infrastructure and Adif as primary causes, it now centers on the trains themselves and the government.
In the wake of the Urda accident, 41% of respondents attributed responsibility to the government, a figure that remained stable from the post-Adamuz survey. The second Adamuz poll also showed worsening perceptions, with the second measurement being more negative than the first.
“Todos los indicadores de desconfianza empeoran. Solo retroceden la infraestructura como causa y Adif como responsable, mientras el foco se desplaza hacia el propio tren y hacia el Gobierno, y casi desaparece la idea de una fatalidad imprevisible.”
The YouGov survey, conducted with a representative sample of the Spanish population online, captures the immediate public reaction following the Urda accident. “Lo que los datos no permiten saber todavía es si el efecto de Urda se suavizará o se consolidará”, the report says, leaving the future trajectory of this crisis uncertain.
Source: YouGov
