Rescue work is still going on near Urda in central Spain, more than 12 hours after two high-speed trains collided. At least 68 people have died and dozens are injured. According to the BBC, bright lights lit up damaged train carriages leaning on the tracks, while cranes and cutting tools were used to clear the wreckage.
Forensic teams in Toledo are working to identify the victims, while families of missing passengers wait for news of their loved ones.
The crash happened on Wednesday morning near Urda in Toledo, south of Madrid, when a high-speed train operated by Spain’s state-owned railway company Renfe hit a stationary train run by private operator Iryo.
Deep Dive
What caused the Spain high-speed train collision near Urda?
Which trains collided in the Toledo train crash?
Which Spanish train services were suspended after the crash?
According to the BBC, Puente said a computer failure followed by human error caused the crash. The Iryo train, which was carrying 147 passengers, had stopped on the tracks because of the computer problem. He said a 24-hour control centre in Madrid takes control when such failures occur. However, the centre made an “inexplicable” decision to allow the trains to move again without any speed limits. Iryo said its train was “struck from behind” by the Renfe train, which was carrying 397 passengers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “The whole of Spain is grieving” during a visit to the crash site, according to the BBC. “Lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense,” he said. He called it “unacceptable” for Spain to have two serious train crashes in one year. He promised to “get to the bottom of this” and find out if there was any negligence. “If there have been failures in the security system, they will be addressed with the utmost firmness,” he said.
Union’s anger and the service shutdown
{{/usCountry}}Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “The whole of Spain is grieving” during a visit to the crash site, according to the BBC. “Lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense,” he said. He called it “unacceptable” for Spain to have two serious train crashes in one year. He promised to “get to the bottom of this” and find out if there was any negligence. “If there have been failures in the security system, they will be addressed with the utmost firmness,” he said.
Union’s anger and the service shutdown
{{/usCountry}}The union CSIF, an independent trade union and civil servants’ association, has demanded Puente’s resignation. CSIF posted on X: “We demand that the Government respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence for the head of traffic at Adif.”
The union accused Puente of using a “hardworking person” as a scapegoat instead of “assuming his responsibilities.” It also said it had warned in September of “excess hours in Adif’s working days.”
Renfe has suspended service on Thursday between Madrid and Andalusia. As per Renfe’s post on X, this also applies to trains coming from Barcelon and Valencia to Seville and Malaga. Renfe said an alternative transport plan will be given on Friday.
Also read: Spain Train Crash: Shocking images show rail piercing through carriage
Shock, tributes and election worries
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also wrote on X soon after the crash: “Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. I remain in constant contact with the Minister of Transport, @oscar_puente_, and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha, @garciapage.” He added: “Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations. My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families.”
According to the BBC, people in the regional centre of Toledo held a minute’s silence at 8:00pm local time for the victims. Local leader Emiliano Garcia-Page and Education Minister Milagros Tolon took part in the vigil. This is Spain’s second major high-speed rail disaster with many deaths in less than a year. In January, a crash in Adamuz killed 46 people.
According to the BBC, most political parties stopped campaigning on Wednesday after the crash. Sanchez and other political leaders also visited the site. The accident could affect the election campaign. Sanchez has called a snap election for November 29, hoping to make housing a key issue. Many analysts believed this could work in his favor. However, questions about Spain’s infrastructure and railway safety could create problems for Sanchez, who has been in power for eight years.
Also read: Spain’s first high-speed line, the systems that keep trains apart and possible error behind crash
What the minister said about the cause
According to CNN, Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente said an “inexplicable” wrong order from a train controller led to the crash. He said a computer failure affected the railway safety system along a 63-kilometre (40-mile) stretch of track. As a result, all trains in the area stopped automatically.
Adif, the state-owned company that manages Spain’s railways, then took manual control of the system. Puente said a decision was made to allow a high-speed Renfe train travelling south towards Seville to continue despite a red signal. The train later hit the stationary Iryo train.
Train services in the area were disrupted because of a failure in the LZB safety system. The crash happened on the route between Madrid and Seville. Some train carriages derailed, and officials were still searching for people trapped in the wreckage, as per reports.
ANI earlier reported that the crash happened around 8:30am local time on Wednesday near Urda in Toledo, south of Madrid. Two carriages of the Iryo train derailed and fell down an embankment.