At least 68 people have died after a Renfe high-speed train crashed into the back of a stationary Iryo service in Toledo province, in Spain’s second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
The collision happened at about 8.53am on Wednesday, 28 October, between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, on the Madrid-Seville line. The two trains were travelling south from Madrid when the Renfe service struck the Iryo train from behind, derailing carriages on both trains.
Another 58 people were receiving hospital treatment, according to the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, while emergency crews continued searching the wreckage for survivors and victims.
Spain train crash linked to control centre decision
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a failure in the railway security system had brought trains to a halt across a 63-kilometre stretch of track. He said a central command centre then authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey at normal speed, despite a stop signal remaining active and the Iryo train still being ahead on the line.
Mr Puente said the decision was “inexplicable” and that the train should either have remained stationary or been instructed to proceed at a speed that would have allowed the driver to stop safely. He stressed that the drivers were not being blamed.
“I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts,” the minister said.
The security system stopped functioning after what officials described as a computer malfunction. Authorities were still investigating the exact speed of the Renfe train, although Mr Puente said it may have been travelling at up to 200kph, or 124mph, on the section of line.
The minister said the person who authorised the train to move had been identified and would be subject to the investigation. The cause of the failure and why the Iryo train remained stopped were not immediately clear.
Renfe said its Madrid-to-Seville AVE service had been involved in the crash and that it had activated its emergency response plan for victims and relatives. Iryo said its service had left Madrid at 7.54am carrying 147 passengers, three crew members, a bar worker and a driver.
Renfe later confirmed that its train was carrying 397 passengers. The company said rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia had been suspended.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site and said the government would declare three days of national mourning. He called for further safety measures, saying it was unacceptable for Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year.
The latest crash came nine months after another fatal collision involving Renfe and Iryo trains in southern Spain, in which 46 people died.
