A fracture in a straight section of track 'occurred prior to the passage' of a high-speed train that derailed, causing last Sunday's rail disaster in which 45 people died, an initial report has found.
A train run by private company Iryo derailed last Sunday and its rear carriages crossed on to the opposite track into the path of an oncoming train run by state-owned Renfe.
The CIAF rail investigation commission stated that not only did the Iryo train's front carriages, which remained on the track, have 'notches' in their wheels, but three earlier trains that traveled over the track had similar damages.
A gap of almost 40cm (15in) in the track has become the focus of the investigation into the crash.
Sunday's deadly collision occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT), approximately an hour after the Iryo train left Málaga for Madrid.
The final three carriages - carriages six to eight - derailed and collided with the Huelva-bound Renfe train. 'Carriage six derailed due to a complete lack of continuity in the track,' the preliminary report indicates.
The majority of casualties were in the front carriages of the state-operated train.
Earlier this week, Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente confirmed reports that grooves were found on the wheels of the Iryo train's carriages, which had previously traversed the track without incident.
This recent disaster, the worst rail crash in more than a decade in the country, has reignited discussions on the safety and maintenance of Spain's rail infrastructure.
