Pressure mounts over deadly Spain train crash as drivers strike

Spanish authorities are under increasing pressure to determine the cause of a high-speed train crash that killed at least 69 people. Train drivers staged a strike on Thursday, calling for enhanced safety protocols. The investigation is centered on the malfunction of a German-made automatic train protection system and potential mistakes by the Madrid rail control center.

Radio communications between controllers and drivers reveal that the high-speed train was ordered to resume normal operations despite the safety system being offline and another train blocking the tracks ahead. The accident occurred near Urda, 130 kilometers south of Madrid, when a Renfe-operated train collided with a stationary Iryo train.

The death toll rose to 69 after an additional body was recovered overnight, according to Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page. Over 200 people were injured, with 18 still in intensive care. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited the injured at Toledo University Hospital, expressing their support and compassion.

The investigation must uncover the reasons behind the tragedy and ensure such an incident does not recur. Radio recordings have raised questions about the decision to allow the Renfe train to continue its journey, with Transport Minister Óscar Puente describing it as "inexplicable" and "wrong." According to the recordings, the Madrid control center instructed the Renfe driver to resume normal operations, even though the automatic train protection system was down.

The driver asked for confirmation, to which the controller responded affirmatively. The other train was halted around 25 kilometers further down the line. Public broadcaster RTVE reported that trains can travel up to 200 kilometers per hour on that stretch, but government sources, as cited by El País, suggest the Renfe train should have been instructed to proceed at a maximum of 40 kilometers per hour and only as far as the track ahead was clear.

The driver of the Iryo train had also been requested to resume normal operations, but she informed the controllers that the system restart had failed, and she was unable to proceed. The control center responded that they would call if any issues arose. By then, the Renfe train had already started moving again and crashed into the stationary Iryo train about five minutes later. The extent to which human error played a role in the collision is still under investigation.