Audio Shows Confusion Before Spain Train Crash

Leaked audio recordings released by Spanish media show conversations between train drivers and a control centre in the minutes before a fatal collision that killed 69 people in Spain.

Authorities are examining the cause of the crash, which occurred when a train heading from Madrid to Seville collided with a stationary train.

The recordings indicate that one train was cleared to move despite another being stuck on the same track section.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has stated that investigators will examine every detail of the incident.

The disaster left many injured, with survivors reporting scenes of passengers crying, bleeding, and being trapped in their seats.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited injured individuals at a hospital in Toledo and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

The collision is among the worst rail disasters in modern European history and Spain’s deadliest since 2013.

The three audio files, published by Spanish outlets, capture exchanges between Madrid’s control centre and drivers of two trains before the crash.

According to the recordings, a computer failure in the automatic signalling system caused trains to stop on the affected stretch.

One recording shows a control centre operator instructing a Renfe train driver to continue its journey under normal conditions.

Another recording reveals that the Iryo train driver reported communication loss with the control system and that the train could not move.

The Iryo driver later stated the train remained stopped due to a failure in the security system.

The final recording suggests the control centre was informed the Iryo train was still stationary as the Renfe train approached.

The recordings raise questions about the decision to allow the Renfe train to proceed while the other train remained stopped.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente called the decision to instruct trains to move without speed restrictions 'inexplicable'.