Spain's Minister Says Deadly Crash Followed a Signal Failure and a Missed Order to Brake
The minister says signals went dark, trains were ordered to stop, then one was waved on toward a train still waiting ahead.
The Headlines · At Least 68 Killed in Spain Train Crash, and Democrats’ Secret Effort to Stack Alaska’s BallotAccording to Spain's transportation minister, the crash that left at least 68 people dead started with a signal outage and then what he called an "inexplicable decision."
In the minister's account, given at a press conference, the aging equipment that manages railway signals near the crash site stopped working that morning. With no signals to space trains, several trains were brought to a halt where they stood.
As general background, high speed trains depend on signals rather than eyesight alone because drivers usually cannot stop in time for something they see ahead. The signals tell them when to go, slow down, or stop, and keep trains separated even when another train is out of view.
The next step, in the minister's account, is what went wrong. Controllers let one train start moving again. In what Spain's transportation minister called an "inexplicable decision," they did not tell the driver to brake as the train neared a second train still waiting ahead.
That moving train, headed from Madrid toward Seville, slammed into the back of the waiting train on those same rails. The wreck became one of the deadliest rail accidents in Spanish history.
It was the second deadly crash this year on the same route with the same companies in charge, after 46 people died in January. The back to back accidents have shaken the country and have raised questions about the safety of a network that is the largest high speed system in Europe and the second largest in the world.
Questions people ask
Why couldn't the driver just see the stopped train and stop?
In general, they usually cannot. High speed trains typically need very long distances to stop, far beyond what a driver can see clearly ahead. That is why, as general background, modern lines depend on signals and in cab warnings rather than eyesight alone.
What is supposed to happen when a signal system fails?
In general, the practice is to stop everything and then allow movement only with explicit permission, often at very low speed and with constant contact between controllers and the driver. Controllers are expected to keep careful track of every stopped train and guide any moving train through each section.
Is Spain's high-speed rail normally considered safe?
Historically, yes. Spain built one of the world's most extensive high speed networks, and major fatal accidents have been rare. The concern now is that two deadly crashes months apart, on the same line and with the same operators, have raised questions about safety.