Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 4 hrs ago
Deadly Spanish train crashes renew scrutiny of maintenance and safety systems
Two crashes on Spain’s high-speed rail network killed more than 120 people this year.
At least 69 people died in the October collision near Urda, where a Renfe train and an Iryo train collided on the Madrid-Seville line.
In January, a crash near Adamuz killed 46 people; investigators have pointed to a track-welding failure there.
The Madrid-Seville line still relies on LZB, a signalling system installed in 1992.
LZB sends train instructions through cables, while the newer European ERTMS system uses radio and can detect occupied track sections.
Adif has delayed a project to install ERTMS along the corridor, which remains the only major Spanish high-speed line still using LZB.
The upgrade requires changes to trackside equipment and trains, and work must take place while services continue.
The crashes have intensified scrutiny of rail safety and maintenance, as official data cited in one account show rising accidents and derailments since 2018.
The investigations into Urda are continuing, and the sources do not give a new completion date for the signalling upgrade.
A collision between Renfe and Iryo high-speed trains in Urda, Toledo, killed at least 69 people, according to 20minutos.
Authorities said a failure in the LZB train-control system prompted Adif’s control centre to order trains to stop.
The Madrid-Seville line still uses LZB while a delayed project to install the European ERTMS system is under way.
Expansión reports that rail accidents in Spain rose 142% between 2018 and 2024, while derailments increased by more than 300%.
The articles also describe a separate fatal collision at Adamuz, Córdoba, on 18 January, which killed 46 people.
- Who
- A Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo high-speed train collided. At least 69 people died, according to 20minutos.
- What
- The trains collided on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line after a failure in the LZB system.
- When
- Wednesday morning; the articles do not state the calendar date.
- Where
- Urda, Toledo, on the Madrid-Seville line.
- Why
- Authorities confirmed a failure in the LZB automatic train-control system. The investigation is ongoing.
Spanish government
Expansión's account of investment and maintenance
Cause of accidents
Spanish government
The government has attributed incidents to human error or factors it says have a low chance of recurring.
Expansión's account of investment and maintenance
Expansión points to falling infrastructure and maintenance investment alongside rising accident figures.
Adif Alta Velocidad awarded Thales España a €93.8 million contract to modernise safety systems on the Madrid-Seville line.
Two high-speed trains collided at Adamuz, Córdoba, killing 46 people.
Renfe and Iryo high-speed trains collided at Urda, Toledo, killing at least 69 people, according to 20minutos.
- Urda death toll
- At least 69, according to 20minutos
- Adamuz death toll
- 46
- LZB system
- Installed on the Madrid-Seville line in 1992
- Modernisation contract
- €93.8 million, awarded to Thales España in September 2021
- Accidents
- Rose 142% from 2018 to 2024, according to CIAF data cited by Expansión
- Derailments
- Increased from 7 to 22 between 2018 and 2024, according to Expansión
3 sources
Los accidentes ferroviarios se disparan ante los recortes en el mantenimiento de la red
¿Por qué la línea Madrid-Sevilla utiliza el LZB en lugar del sistema europeo ERTMS, presente en otros corredores españoles?
What people are saying
no pasa todos los días, pero que puede ocurrir
el LZB es contrastadísimo