Spain transport minister cites traffic-controller errors as likely cause of deadly Toledo rail crash

Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente told a news conference that a series of human errors by rail traffic controllers was the probable cause of the high-speed collision south of Toledo that left at least 69 dead and dozens injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when a passenger train operated by state-owned Renfe was cleared to accelerate to about 100 mph toward a stationary Iryo train on the same track sector.

Puente said controllers in Madrid authorised the trailing Renfe train to restart at 8:36 a.m. and directed it to resume regular speeds of up to 124 mph, rather than the cautionary speed of around 25 mph required after the LZB signalling system failed at 8:31 a.m. Five minutes later, the forward Iryo train was cleared to proceed, but it stalled and its driver reported the problem at 8:48 a.m. Despite the warning, controllers did not halt the approaching Renfe service.

"They had a clear view of what was happening," Puente said, adding that he would not single out individual workers.

Under national railway safety regulations, a trailing train may not enter a track sector until the forward train has cleared it, and in the event of signalling outages trains must travel at reduced speeds to allow manual braking. The minister said the emergency manual regime in use at the time bypassed basic verification protocols, giving controllers multiple opportunities to stop the Renfe train before impact.

The crash, Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade, follows a January accident that killed more than 40 people and has revived criticism of the country’s railway infrastructure. Unions have alleged chronic staffing shortages and outdated technology in control rooms, claims Puente rejected, stating the Madrid operations centre was adequately staffed on the day of the accident.

Puente also defended the ageing LZB system, noting it had experienced about 170 outages this year, mainly due to cable theft, vandalism and scheduled maintenance, but that its performance remained within European norms. He announced an emergency package of technological upgrades aimed at reducing reliance on human discretion in traffic control rooms ahead of a nationwide signalling upgrade planned for next year.

Opposition parties have called for Puente’s resignation ahead of the November 29 general election, but the minister said an investigation would determine why no action was taken during the 17-minute window when the situation was visible on control-room displays.