79 people are confirmed to have died so far in Spain's most deadly train accident in 40 years. The accident involved an Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Ferrol that was said to be operating at more than twice the advised speed when it derailed.
"The accident involving the Alvia train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, derailed at 8.41pm, just four kilometers from the Santiago de Compostela stop," report David Reinero and Sonia Vizoso with Spanish newspaper El Pais. "The forces involved were such that one of the eight carriages ended up being thrown 15 meters from the track."
"The train operator, who suffered light injuries, said on his radio after the accident that the train was traveling at 190km/h on the stretch of track, which has a limit of 80km/h."
"Meanwhile," they add, "a judge in Santiago de Compostela officially named the conductor of the Alvia high speed train, Francisco José Garzon, as a defendant in his investigation, EFE News Agency reported."
"The track had been adapted for the AVE high-speed trains, but the signaling system had not," note Reinero and Vizoso. "An engineer from the Adif state rail infrastructure company, who admitted he was unaware of the exact circumstances of the accident, explained on Wednesday that it would be very difficult for a train to derail simply due to excess speed, and that another factor – involving either the track or the train itself – must have come into play."
FULL STORY: Death toll rises to 79 in Santiago de Compostela train crash

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie