Spanish media have released recordings of dialogues between drivers and the dispatch center that preceded the catastrophe. The incident occurred Wednesday morning when a high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville collided with a train stationary on the tracks. According to preliminary data, at least 68 people were killed in the collision.

Circumstances of the crash and passenger data

According to information obtained from the BBC, there were 397 passengers on board one of the trains operated by the state-owned company Renfe. Ahead on the same line was a train from the private company Iryo, which carried 147 passengers.

397passengers on the Renfe train
147passengers on the Iryo train

Signaling issues and orders

According to preliminary reports, the cause of the incident was a failure in the automatic signaling system—a computer malfunction that caused all trains on the affected section to stop. However, according to Spain's Minister of Transport, the Renfe train was ordered to continue moving "by mistake."

"Disconnect and reconnect the LZB system. Resume movement. Then continue movement under BSL system [backup signaling system] control in normal mode"
fragment of the recording published by Spanish media

Spanish media, including El Pais and RTVE, published audio recordings of conversations from the dispatch center at Atocha station in Madrid. These recordings made it evident that one high-speed train was permitted to continue moving despite another train being ahead at a distance of approximately 25 km and being stationary.

Context

Information about the incident was provided to the BBC. The reports mention the state-owned company Renfe and the private company Iryo, as well as the Spanish Minister of Transport, who commented on the situation.