Headlines:
- Spain probes systemic rail-safety failures after fatal cluster of accidents across networks
- E-mobility coalition warns Parliament against diluting 2035 target as automotive package advances
- Industry and NGOs urge Commission to extend AFIF amid risk of 2026–27 funding gap for heavy-duty charging
- Ireland establishes delivery hub for nationwide account-based ticketing rollout
- Canada signals managed opening to Chinese EVs under trade agreement-in-principle
- Commission launches feedback process on delegated act to phase out high ILUC-risk biofuels by 2030
- T&E calls for SESAR-backed scale-up of contrail avoidance, urges non-CO2 KPI in Single European Sky performance rules
- Commission-backed joint EU R&I vision sets automotive competitiveness agenda under 2025 Action Plan
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Spain probes systemic rail-safety failures after fatal cluster of accidents across networks
Spanish authorities are treating a series of fatal rail accidents this week as a potential systemic safety crisis, after three serious incidents on different parts of the network raised questions about infrastructure resilience, operational controls and oversight of worksites.
The most severe incident occurred on the 18th of January near Adamuz in Andalusia, where a northbound high-speed service from Málaga to Madrid derailed on a straight section of refurbished track and was struck by an oncoming train on an adjacent line, killing around 40 people and injuring hundreds. Investigators are focusing on possible technical or infrastructure failure, including a defective welded rail joint, with early indications suggesting trains were operating below speed limits, and that human error is unlikely to be the primary cause.
Two days later, on the 20th of January, a commuter train derailed between Gelida and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia on the Rodalies de Catalunya network near Barcelona after hitting debris from a collapsed retaining wall. One trainee driver was killed, and dozens of passengers were injured. Preliminary findings point to heavy rainfall linked to Storm Harry undermining slope stability and drainage, prompting scrutiny of infrastructure resilience to extreme weather.
A third incident followed on the 22nd of January, when a commuter train in southeastern Spain struck a crane or construction vehicle positioned on or too close to the track, causing another derailment and injuries. While less deadly, the collision intensified public concern about worksite protection, signalling and communication between contractors and control centres.
The clustering of incidents across high-speed and commuter lines, and across different regions, has reinforced the view within government and the rail sector that the problem may extend beyond isolated failures. The accidents involve distinct immediate triggers, ranging from suspected rail defects and weather-induced earthworks failure to worksite safety lapses, but together point to potential weaknesses in inspection regimes, infrastructure monitoring and operational safeguards.
Spain’s transport ministry, national operator Renfe and infrastructure manager Adif have opened parallel technical and judicial investigations. Authorities have ordered emergency inspections of comparable high-speed track sections, vulnerable cuttings and retaining walls, and active construction sites on busy lines. Reviews of signalling standards, obstacle detection, extreme-weather protocols and rules governing works near live tracks are also underway.
In the short term, passengers are facing service disruptions, temporary line closures and additional speed restrictions as inspections and repairs proceed. In the medium term, officials have signalled that investment priorities may shift towards reinforcing ageing or exposed infrastructure, upgrading detection and signalling systems on conventional and commuter lines, and tightening controls over contractors and maintenance regimes.
Rail unions have responded by calling or threatening strike action, arguing that the accidents reflect years of under-investment in maintenance, staffing and safety systems. They are demanding faster inspections, stronger weather-related monitoring, stricter worksite rules and additional recruitment, warning that further industrial action could add to disruption in the coming weeks.
E-mobility coalition warns Parliament against diluting 2035 target as automotive package advances
More than 75 senior industry figures from the Take Charge Europe campaign met Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week, urging lawmakers to preserve regulatory certainty around the 2035 zero-emission vehicle target and warning against further dilution as negotiations on the Commission’s automotive package move forward.
The group argued that clear and predictable clean-mobility targets are essential to unlock investment, accelerate innovation and sustain Europe’s electric-vehicle leadership. It pointed to a strong 2025 performance, with Europe’s electric-car market growing by around 30%, supported by more than one million public charging points and the ramp-up of domestic battery production.
Industry representatives warned that renewed debate around weakening the 2035 target risks blurring long-term investment signals at a critical moment for planning across the EV value chain. They called on MEPs to process the automotive package swiftly and deliver an outcome that restores investor confidence, including by maintaining stable targets, keeping electrification at the core of the 2035 framework, and ensuring that flexibility mechanisms do not undermine the transition to zero-emission mobility.
Take Charge Europe said companies across the coalition have already committed more than EUR 175 billion to e-mobility investments and created over 150,000 jobs across Europe.
Industry and NGOs urge Commission to extend AFIF amid risk of 2026–27 funding gap for heavy-duty charging
Road transport operators, vehicle manufacturers and civil society groups have jointly urged the European Commission to prolong the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility for 2026 and 2027, warning that the exhaustion of available funds risks creating a critical investment gap just as zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle deployment accelerates.
In a letter sent on the 20th of January to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the International Road Transport Union, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association and Transport and Environment said the cancellation of the third AFIF cut-off would leave infrastructure rollout exposed during 2026–2027, with no dedicated successor instrument foreseen before the next EU multiannual financial framework in 2028.
The signatories argue that AFIF, created under the Connecting Europe Facility transport programme, has proven effective in de-risking investment and accelerating compliance with the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation. They point to around EUR 3 billion of investment mobilised to date, including support for more than 2,500 heavy-duty charging points and 35 hydrogen refuelling stations under the most recent call, alongside a contribution to cohesion objectives by enabling deployment across Member States.
They warn that a pause in EU-level support would undermine investor confidence at a moment when zero-emission trucks are entering the market and operators are beginning to scale up investments across the value chain. The letter calls on the Commission to swiftly extend AFIF for 2026 and 2027 or to mobilise alternative EU funding instruments, including remaining CEF resources, the Recovery and Resilience Facility in cooperation with Member States, and potential reallocation of unspent cohesion funds.
A central demand concerns eligibility. The organisations urge the Commission to allow AFIF support for depot charging infrastructure, alongside grid connections, battery energy storage systems and hydrogen-related assets, arguing that depot charging will remain the backbone of heavy-duty electrification and is essential for predictable operations and cost control.
IRU EU director Raluca Marian warned that transport operators face thin margins and cannot realistically invest in higher-cost zero-emission vehicles without guaranteed charging availability, particularly at depots. ACEA commercial vehicles chief Thomas Fabian said any break in infrastructure funding risked slowing adoption and weakening Europe’s industrial competitiveness at a critical stage of the transition.
Transport and Environment’s fleets and freight director Stef Cornelis said AFIF-backed projects were already enabling truck charging deployment across the continent and called on the EU to provide investment certainty for the power and logistics sectors, arguing that withdrawing support now would stall momentum just as electrification begins to scale.
Ireland establishes delivery hub for nationwide account-based ticketing rollout
Ireland’s transport ministry has formally opened a Dublin delivery hub for the Next Generation Ticketing programme, anchoring the implementation of a nationwide account-based, contactless public transport payment system.
The office, opened on January 21st by Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien, will serve as the Irish headquarters of Indra Group, the contractor appointed in 2024 by the National Transport Authority to replace the Leap Card system across the Transport for Ireland network.
The facility is intended to centralise programme delivery and coordination with the NTA as the project moves from design into deployment. It will support software development, systems integration and operational functions linked to the rollout of a cloud-hosted, account-based ticketing platform allowing passengers to pay using bank cards, mobile devices and other smart payment tools, with fares calculated post-journey.
Unlike many contactless programmes delivered on a city or corridor basis, Ireland’s system is being designed as a single end-to-end solution covering buses, heavy rail, LUAS and regional services. Deployment will begin in the Greater Dublin Area, with upgrades planned to around 240 rail station gates, approximately 1,000 station validators and more than 2,800 on-bus validators. New validators are expected from 2027, with contactless payments available from 2028, while existing Leap Card and concessionary products will continue during the transition.
The ticketing programme forms part of a broader modernisation of Ireland’s urban and suburban rail system, alongside rolling stock investment under the DART+ programme, including additional electric multiple unit orders announced in late 2025.
Canada signals managed opening to Chinese EVs under trade agreement-in-principle
The Canadian government has outlined a controlled market access framework for Chinese electric vehicles as part of a preliminary agreement-in-principle aimed at resolving bilateral economic and trade issues with China, framing the move as a way to support affordability while safeguarding domestic manufacturing and supply chains.
Under the proposed approach, Canada intends to grant a country-specific quota of up to 49,000 electric vehicles per year imported from China at a most-favoured-nation tariff rate of 6.1%. The government says the quota is designed to provide predictability for Canada’s automotive sector by establishing managed entry of Chinese EVs, while catalysing joint-venture investment in Canada with what it describes as trusted partners.
Half of the quota is expected to be reserved by 2030 for lower-priced electric vehicles with an import price of CAD 35,000 or less, a measure aimed at accelerating the availability of affordable EVs in the Canadian market. The government argues this will support uptake without undermining domestic production, noting that the proposed volume represents a return to levels seen before recent trade frictions and accounts for less than 3 per cent of Canada’s annual new vehicle sales.
As part of the arrangement, Canada will also work with Chinese manufacturers on vehicle certification to ensure compliance with Canadian motor vehicle safety standards. The agreement provides for a review after three years to assess whether anticipated economic and industrial benefits have materialised.
The EV provisions sit within a broader trade reset with China, which remains Canada’s second-largest single-country trading partner. Ottawa said the agreement-in-principle is intended to resolve long-standing irritants and establish a pathway for new investment, while allowing both sides to continue discussions on additional trade issues in the coming months.
