Spain Train Crash: Audio Reveals Exchanges Between Operators and Drivers
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Audio reveals exchanges between Spain train drivers and operators moments before deadly crash
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Figure caption: Leaked audio recordings shed light on conversations between train drivers and a control centre before a fatal crash.
By
Harry Sekulich
and
Jaroslav Lukiv
Published
29 October 2026, 03:51 GMT
Updated 6 hours ago
Leaked audio recordings, published in Spanish media, capture conversations between train drivers and Madrid's control centre just minutes before a deadly crash on Wednesday morning that claimed 69 lives.
Officials are investigating the cause of the disaster, which occurred when a high-speed train from Madrid to Seville collided with a stationary train.
Three audio recordings between Madrid's control centre and two train drivers reveal that one high-speed train was cleared to move despite another train having stalled on the track, approximately 15 miles (25km) ahead.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has vowed to "get to the bottom of every last detail" of the tragedy.
Dozens of people were injured, with survivors describing harrowing scenes of crying and bleeding passengers, trapped passengers, missing limbs, and smoke filling the carriages, one of which caught fire.
On Thursday, Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited some of the injured passengers in a Toledo hospital. He expressed condolences to the victims' relatives, promising a thorough investigation and measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The crash is one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history and Spain's worst since 2013. The country observed three days of national mourning.
The moving train, operated by state-owned Renfe, carried 397 passengers. The stationary train, run by private operator Iryo, had 147 passengers on board.
A reported issue with the automatic signalling system, attributed to a computer failure, had halted all trains on the affected stretch. However, later, the Renfe train was ordered to proceed in "error," according to Spain's transport minister.
The audio recordings, published by Spanish outlets like El Pais and RTVE, include the following exchanges:
-
Control centre operator to Renfe driver: "Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation."
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Renfe driver: "At normal speed?"
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Control operator: "Yes."
The Lateral Signalling Block is a backup train system used when the automatic signalling or data transmission system fails.
In another recording, the driver of the stationary Iryo train reports a loss of communication with the train-control system and informs the centre that the train is not moving. They state, "The train is stationary in front of the entry signal at Urda."
After further exchanges, the driver is told to "resume the journey" normally. The Iryo driver then contacts the control centre again, saying, "I cannot start the train. The train won't allow me to control the [security] system. That's why I am still stopped in front of the entry signal."