Human Error Suspected in Spain Train Collision That Killed 46

A collision between two trains near Madrid on Wednesday left at least 46 people dead and several others injured, disrupting rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia. The incident occurred in Spain’s Toledo province at around 9 am local time, according to the country’s rail infrastructure operator, ADIF.

Human error has emerged as a possible cause of the disaster, according to reports by ABC News. An employee of a public utility allegedly failed to alert a high-speed AVE train operated by state-owned Renfe about an approaching Iryo train while addressing a major signalling problem. The circumstances surrounding the alleged failure are yet to be fully established.

ADIF announced on social media that traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed railway line had been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains. A stationary Iryo train was struck from behind by a southbound Renfe AVE service, causing several carriages to plunge down an embankment.

Castilla-La Mancha regional spokesperson Esther Padilla said the Iryo train was carrying 147 passengers, while the Renfe train had 397 people on board. Italian-owned Iryo said it had activated its safety procedures and was cooperating closely with the authorities.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed shock over the accident and said he was in constant contact with Transport Minister Oscar Puente and Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano Garcia-Page. He also expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, while emergency services continued rescue and assistance operations.

The tragedy follows another deadly railway accident in January, when a derailment and collision in Adamuz killed 45 people. The latest incident has renewed concerns about safety on Spain’s high-speed railway network. The country witnessed its deadliest train crash in 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment near Santiago de Compostela.