At least 68 people have died after a high-speed Renfe train crashed into the rear of a stationary Iryo service in central Spain, with the transport minister blaming an “inexplicable” decision by a rail control centre.
The collision happened at about 8.53am on Wednesday near Urda, in Toledo province, on the high-speed line linking Madrid with Seville. Both trains were travelling south and hundreds of passengers were on board.
Spain’s regional authorities said dozens of people were injured, with 58 receiving treatment in hospitals. Rescue teams continued searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies throughout the day.
The Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers, while 147 people were travelling on the Iryo service. The impact derailed two carriages at the rear of the Iryo train and the front of the Renfe train.
Transport minister blames control centre decision
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure had disabled the LZB safety system across a 63-kilometre stretch of track at around 8.30am. Trains in the area automatically stopped, as required by railway procedures.
Mr Puente said the control centre at Madrid’s Atocha station then authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey at normal speed, despite the safety system being offline and a stop signal remaining active further along the line.
He said the service should either not have been allowed to move or should have been instructed to proceed at a greatly reduced speed. Investigators were still examining how quickly it was travelling, although it may have reached up to 200kph.
“I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts,” Mr Puente said, adding that the train drivers were not to blame.
The minister said control-room staff had about 20 minutes between authorising the Renfe train to move and the crash to identify the danger. He described the decision to permit normal operation as “inexplicable” and “erroneous”, while stopping short of assigning individual responsibility.
Renfe said it had activated its emergency response arrangements and a support service for victims and relatives. Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended following the crash.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene and announced three days of national mourning. He said any negligence uncovered during the investigation would be dealt with firmly.
The crash is Spain’s second deadly high-speed rail accident this year. In January, 46 people were killed when an Iryo train derailed near Adamuz in Córdoba and collided with a Renfe service.
