Audio recordings released by Spanish media have revealed conversations between train drivers and a railway control centre in Madrid shortly before a collision that killed at least 68 people and injured dozens.
The crash occurred on Wednesday morning when a Renfe high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in the province of Toledo.
The Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers, while the Iryo service had 147 passengers on board.
The recordings, published by Spanish news outlets including El País and RTVE, form part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disaster.
Renfe Driver Told to Resume Journey at Normal Speed
In one of the recordings, a railway control centre operator instructs the Renfe driver to continue travelling at normal speed after technical problems affected the line.
“Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation,” the operator tells the driver.
The driver asks whether the instruction means travelling at normal speed, and the controller confirms that it does.
Lateral Signalling Block is an alternative operating procedure used when automatic signalling or data transmission systems fail.
Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the decision to allow trains to resume their journeys without speed restrictions was “inexplicable”.
Iryo Driver Reports Train Stopped at Urda
A separate recording captures the driver of the Iryo train informing the control centre that communication with the train-control system had been lost.
The driver reports that the train is stationary in front of the entry signal at Urda.
Following several exchanges, the driver is instructed to resume the journey normally.
However, a subsequent recording captures the Iryo driver contacting the control centre again to explain that the train cannot move because its security system is preventing the driver from taking control.
“The train won’t allow me to control the [security] system. That’s why I am still stopped in front of the entry signal,” the driver says.
The recordings suggest that the control centre had been informed that the Iryo train remained stationary as the Renfe train approached. Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the instructions and the collision.
Signalling System Failure Preceded the Crash
Reports indicate that a problem with the automatic signalling system had forced trains to stop on the affected section of railway.
The two services were travelling along the same line, with the Iryo train ahead of the Renfe service. The collision occurred shortly before 09:00, according to the published timeline.
The impact caused carriages to derail, with some reportedly falling down an embankment.
Iryo confirmed that its train had been struck from behind by the Renfe service.
Authorities have not yet established the definitive cause of the accident, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Emergency Teams Search Wreckage for Victims
Emergency workers continued recovery operations through the night, using powerful lights and equipment to cut through damaged metal carriages and search for victims.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said hundreds of personnel had been deployed to the site. Drones and helicopters were also being used to locate victims and remove debris.
Witnesses described scenes of passengers trapped in their seats, people crying and bleeding, and smoke filling the carriages. One of the carriages caught fire.
Many of those killed had yet to be formally identified as rescue and identification efforts continued.
Civil Guard Opens Missing-Persons Offices
The Spanish Civil Guard established offices in Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Córdoba to handle reports of missing passengers and assist relatives seeking information.
The force said identifying missing people and collecting DNA samples to help establish family connections were its immediate priorities.
Relatives of passengers from both trains were still trying to establish what had happened to their loved ones late on Wednesday.
In Toledo, near the crash site, residents gathered for a vigil and observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims.
Spain Begins Three Days of National Mourning
The collision prompted Spain to begin three days of national mourning.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country was grieving for the victims and their families.
“The whole of Spain is grieving,” Sánchez said, adding that lives had been shattered and families torn apart.
He also described it as “unacceptable” that Spain had experienced two major rail disasters in the same year. A high-speed train crash near Córdoba in January killed 46 people on the same railway line, although further south.
European Union flags were lowered to half-mast in Brussels during Spain’s mourning period. The European Commission described the gesture as a sign of European solidarity.
The latest collision is Spain’s deadliest rail disaster since the 2013 crash near Santiago de Compostela, which killed 80 people.
Protesters Demand Accountability Over Rail Safety
The disaster triggered protests in Madrid, where around 1,500 people gathered outside the Spanish Transport Ministry building overnight, according to Spanish broadcaster TVE.
Demonstrators largely called for the resignations of Sánchez and Puente. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd after protesters threw bottles and flares. No injuries or arrests were reported.
The leader of Spain’s main opposition People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said the public had a right to know the condition of the country’s infrastructure.
“Spain has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure,” he said.
Most political parties suspended campaigning for upcoming elections following the crash. The far-right Vox party was an exception, with its leader, Santiago Abascal, opposing what he described as attempts to use national mourning to silence criticism of railway infrastructure.
Railway Drivers Maintain Planned Safety Strike
The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers, known as Semaf, said a planned strike on Thursday would proceed.
The union said the industrial action was being held “in defence of railway safety”.
The strike announcement came as authorities continued investigating the collision and identifying those who died.
Investigation Continues Into Deadly Collision
Investigators are examining the events leading up to the crash, including the signalling problems, the instructions issued by railway controllers and the failure of the Iryo train to resume movement.
The release of the audio recordings has provided details of communications between the drivers and the control centre before the collision, but the investigation has yet to establish the full sequence of events or determine responsibility.
