By Ahmed Abdelsalam
At least 64 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, marking the second deadly railway accident in the country this year.
Collision Details
An Iryo express train stopped near Toledo due to a signal fault on orders from infrastructure manager ADIF. A Renfe high-speed train then struck the stationary train at high speed, derailing several carriages of both trains.
Minister Cites Broken Protocol
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the Renfe train was authorized to continue despite an active red signal, breaking protocol. The red signal had been triggered by a computer communications failure that automatically halted traffic, and an erroneous decision restarted the Renfe train.
Previous Crash on Same Line
The collision follows a similar incident in January on the same Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line involving the same operators, which killed 46 people. Experts identified wear on a rail joint that had widened over time.
Rising Accident Statistics
Spain's railway safety authority reported accidents increased from 45 in 2016 to 69 last year, while rail deterioration and breaks rose from 494 to 667 over the same period.
