Spain Train Crash: Audio Reveals Final Talks Before Deadly Collision

Leaked audio recordings published in Spanish media have revealed conversations between train drivers and a control center just minutes before a deadly crash on Wednesday morning. The crash killed 69 people.

Officials are investigating what caused the disaster. It happened when a train traveling from Madrid to Seville crashed into a stationary train near Urda.

Three audio recordings between Madrid's control center and two train drivers appear to show that one high-speed train was given permission to move. However, another train had already stalled on the track about 25km (15 miles) ahead.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said authorities would "get to the bottom of every last detail of this tragedy."

Dozens of people were injured. Survivors described frightening scenes: people crying and bleeding, passengers trapped in their seats, missing limbs, and smoke filling the carriages. One carriage caught fire.

On Thursday, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited some injured passengers at a hospital in Toledo. The king later expressed condolences to the victims' relatives. He promised that the investigation would determine why the crash happened and what measures would be taken to prevent it from happening again.

The crash is one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history. It is also Spain's worst crash since 2013. On Thursday, the country began three days of national mourning.

The moving train was run by the state-owned operator Renfe and had 397 passengers on board. The stationary train was run by the private operator Iryo and was carrying 147 passengers.

A reported issue with the automatic signaling system—a computer failure—had forced all trains to halt on the affected stretch of track. But later, the Renfe train was ordered to proceed in "error," according to Spain's transport minister.

The audio recordings were published by several Spanish news outlets, including El Pais and RTVE.

In one recording, a control center operator speaks to the driver of the Renfe train, which was having some technical difficulties. After some exchanges, the control operator tells the driver: "Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation."

The driver replies: "At normal speed?" The controller answers: "Yes."

The Lateral Signalling Block is a backup or alternative train system. It is used when the automatic signaling or data transmission system fails.

In another audio recording, the driver of the stationary Iryo train says communication with the train-control system has been lost, and the train is not moving. The train "is stationary in front of the entry signal at Urda," the driver tells the control center operator. After a series of exchanges, the driver is then told to "resume the journey" normally.

According to a later recording, the Iryo driver contacts the control center again. The driver says they cannot start the train. "The train won't allow me to control the [security] system. That's why I am still stopped in front of the entry signal," they say.

That later recording suggests the controller had been notified that the Iryo train remained stationary as the Renfe train approached. Iryo said its carriages were "struck from behind" by the other train.

Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, said on Wednesday that the decision to instruct the trains to move again, without any speed restrictions, was "inexplicable."

The leaking of the audio recordings has been criticized by some Spanish politicians. Alberto Ibáñez, a member of Congress for the left-wing Sumar platform, wrote on X that the leaks were "despicable."

Irene Montero, the prime ministerial candidate for the left-wing Podemos party, said responsibility for the crash should not be placed on one worker. She added that train drivers and experts have been warning against the liberalization of the railway sector for years.

From the crash site, Sánchez said: "We are working day and night not only to support the victims' families, but also to establish every last detail of this tragedy and strengthen safety measures to ensure it never happens again."

Most Spanish politicians have canceled all public engagements and suspended their campaigning ahead of a snap election on 29 November. The exception is the far-right party Vox. Its leader, Santiago Abascal, said his party would not take part in what he described as attempts to "use mourning to silence criticism" of the country's rail infrastructure.

Overnight, around 1,500 people gathered outside the Spanish transport ministry building in the capital, according to broadcaster TVE. TVE reported that demonstrators were largely calling for the resignations of Sánchez and Puente. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds after protesters threw bottles and flares. No injuries or arrests were reported.

Rail drivers went ahead with a planned strike on Thursday. The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) said the strike action was being held "in defence of railway safety." The leader of Spain's main opposition People's Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said: "Spain has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure."

At the crash site, emergency crews worked through the night under powerful floodlights. They cut open metal carriages in the search for victims. Many of those killed in the crash still have not been identified.

Hundreds of personnel have been deployed to the disaster site to assist with recovery efforts, Spain's interior ministry said. Drones and helicopters are being used to find victims and remove rubble.

A spokesperson for the Spanish Civil Guard told the BBC they had deployed more than 900 people from different specialist departments. The priority now was identifying the deceased. They said they did not know how long this would take, but urged those with missing family members to go to one of the local centers. These centers have been set up to offer DNA samples.