Spain to reduce Madrid–Seville train services — Channel NewsAsia

Spain will reduce train traffic on the line between Madrid and Seville following last week’s accident. The restrictions will remain in place until Spain’s Railway Safety Agency inspects the safety system on this section and the government completes the delayed rollout of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced this on November 3, Channel NewsAsia reports. The collision near the town of Urda in central Spain claimed 69 lives. Another accident in January on the same line involving the same companies resulted in 46 deaths.

Signalling failure before the collision

According to Puente, last Wednesday several trains stopped automatically due to a signalling system failure, after which central dispatchers in Madrid took over traffic control. A train operated by the state carrier Renfe was allowed to continue, although a train of operator Iryo was standing ahead. Investigators estimated the collision speed at 160–200 km/h.

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New safety measures

The minister presented additional measures: a speed limit of 40 km/h in the event of a signalling failure, when the driver must independently detect obstacles, as well as increased staffing and improved conditions at traffic control centres. The government also plans to speed up the deployment of standardised ERTMS across the entire railway network. According to government contracts, its implementation on the line where the accidents occurred is behind schedule.

In addition, the railway is to introduce an AI agent to detect anomalies and monitor conversations between drivers and dispatchers in order to reduce the risk of human error. Puente said Spain will also create a real-time digital model of the railway network.