Spain train collision killed 69 after control system outage

A collision between a Renfe high-speed train and an Iryo train near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province, killed 69 people after a train-control system outage and a decision to resume traffic, according to Transport Minister Óscar Puente. Investigators have not determined what caused the crash or assigned responsibility. Puente said the LZB system, which monitors train positions and can trigger automatic braking, failed on the Madrid-Seville line on Wednesday, October 28. The outage automatically stopped trains on the affected section, and traffic was then managed manually by Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager. The minister said Adif’s control centre authorized a Renfe train to resume normal running while a stop signal remained active and the Iryo train was still stopped ahead. The Renfe train travelled about 25 kilometres before the collision, Puente said. He described the authorization as erroneous, but investigators have not confirmed his account as a finding on the cause. The crash prompted a judicial investigation and a separate inquiry by a special government commission. A judge ordered the trains’ black boxes preserved and directed police to collect control-centre...