Audio recordings published in Spanish media have revealed conversations between train drivers and a railway control centre in the minutes leading up to a deadly collision that killed at least 68 people and injured dozens.
Officials are currently investigating the cause of the disaster, which occurred on Wednesday morning when a train travelling from Madrid to Seville barrelled into a stationary train.
Three audio recordings between the control centre in Madrid and two train drivers appear to show that one high-speed train was given clearance to move even though another train around 25 kilometres (15 miles) up ahead had stalled.
The release of the recordings comes as Spain begins three days of national mourning for one of the worst rail disasters in Europe’s modern history.
One train, run by state-owned operator Renfe, had 397 passengers on board. Ahead of it on the same line was a train operated by private company Iryo, carrying 147 passengers.
A reported issue with the automatic signalling system – caused by a computer failure – had initially forced all trains to halt on the affected stretch of track.
However, the Renfe train was later ordered to proceed in “error”, according to Spain’s transport minister.
Audio recordings published by Spanish news outlets including El Pais and RTVE reveal the exchanges between the two train drivers and the control centre in the capital prior to the impact.
In one recording, a control centre operator tells the Renfe driver to resume the journey at normal speed following the technical issues.
“Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation,” the control centre operator tells the driver.
The driver replies: “At normal speed?” To which the controller responds: “Yes.”
The Lateral Signalling Block is a back-up train system used when automatic signalling or data transmission fails.
Later, the driver of the Iryo train states in another audio recording that communication with the train-control system has been lost and that they are stationary at Urda.
The train “is stationary in front of the entry signal at Urda”, the driver informs the control centre operator. After a series of exchanges, the driver is told to “resume the journey” normally.
According to a subsequent recording, the Iryo driver contacts the control centre again to report that they cannot start the train. “The train won’t allow me to control the [security] system. That’s why I am still stopped in front of the entry signal,” they explain.
This latter recording suggests the controller had been notified that the Iryo train remained stationary as the Renfe train approached.
Iryo confirmed its train was “struck from behind” by the Renfe service.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said yesterday, Wednesday 28th October, that the decision to instruct the trains to move again without speed restrictions was “inexplicable”.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the “whole of Spain is grieving”, adding that “lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense”.
Emergency crews worked through the night under powerful floodlights to cut open metal carriages in the search for victims, with many of those killed still to be identified.
Hundreds of personnel have been deployed to the disaster site to assist with recovery efforts, with drones and helicopters used to find victims and clear rubble.
Witnesses described seeing dazed, bloodied passengers crying, people trapped in their seats, and smoke billowing throughout the carriages, one of which caught fire.
Sánchez stated it was “unacceptable” that Spain had suffered two serious rail disasters this year, following a high-speed crash that killed 46 people near Córdoba in January on the same line.
Most political parties suspended campaigning for upcoming elections following the incident, with the exception of the far-right party Vox. Its leader, Santiago Abascal, said his party would not take part in what he described as attempts to “use mourning to silence criticism” of the rail network.
Overnight, around 1,500 people gathered outside the Spanish Transport Ministry building in Madrid, with demonstrators calling for the resignations of Sánchez and Puente. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds after protesters hurled bottles and flares. No injuries or arrests were reported.
Rail drivers are expected to go ahead with a strike today, Thursday, with the Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) stating the action will be held “in defence of railway safety”.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the main opposition People’s Party, said: “Spain has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure.”
Relatives spent Wednesday night attempting to gather information about missing passengers. The Guardia Civil has set up bureaus in Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Córdoba to investigate reports of missing persons.
“The top priority is the identification of the missing persons and the taking of DNA samples to be able to locate their relatives,” the Guardia Civil posted on X.
In Toledo, close to the crash site, locals held a minute’s silence during a vigil to commemorate the victims. European Union flags flew at half-mast in Brussels in a sign of solidarity. Wednesday’s crash is Spain’s worst rail accident since 2013, when 80 people died near Santiago de Compostela.
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