At Least 68 Killed in Spanish High-Speed Train Collision Caused by Signal Failure and Wrong Orders
At Least 68 Killed in Spanish High-Speed Train Collision Caused by Signal Failure and Wrong Orders
At least 68 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in central Spain on Tuesday morning. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the accident was caused by a signal system failure followed by incorrect instructions from train controllers.
According to the minister, a computer malfunction disabled the main LZB signalling system in the area, forcing all trains in the section to stop automatically. This included a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo train. Spain’s rail infrastructure manager Adif then took over the system and authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey despite a red signal prohibiting movement.
The Iryo train remained stationary about 25 kilometres ahead. The Renfe train was allowed to proceed without speed restrictions and travelled roughly 25 kilometres at around 200 kilometres per hour between 8:36 am and 8:52 am local time before colliding head-on with the stationary Iryo train. Puente described the decision to let the Renfe train restart while the other train was still on the tracks as “incomprehensible.”
The collision occurred shortly before 9 am. One of the trains, an AVE high-speed service carrying 397 passengers, struck the Iryo train, which had 147 people on board. At least two carriages of one train derailed and slid down an embankment. The railway line connecting Madrid with the southern Andalusia region was suspended following the crash.
Madrid’s blood transfusion centre appealed for donations to meet a sudden rise in medical demand. Passengers described hearing a prolonged heavy impact lasting about 10 seconds and seeing the damaged other train through the windows.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock at the serious accident and offered deep condolences to the victims and their families.
The Chinese Embassy in Spain said four Chinese citizens were on the trains involved. Their overall condition was reported as generally good, though one accompanying passenger said some of the group had sustained minor injuries as people were being evacuated.
This is the second fatal high-speed train accident in Spain this year. On January 18, two trains derailed in the south of the country, killing at least 45 people and injuring 170.