Two trains, one control room decision
The collision happened at 08:54 local time on Wednesday near Urda, in the province of Toledo, on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line. A Renfe AVE service ran into a stationary ILSA Iryo train between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, close to kilometre marker 118. More than 540 people were on board the two trains when they met.
At least 69 people died and dozens were taken to hospital. The Civil Guard said it has received reports of 64 people still missing. A preliminary report on the accident found the moving train was travelling at 160 kph (99 mph) or more at the moment of impact. Up to three carriages left the track and slid down an embankment.
What the control centre did
Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters that a computer failure first brought six trains on the section to a stop. The control centre then allowed the trains to move again without speed restrictions, he said, under circumstances he described as inexplicable. In the event of a system failure, the control centre takes over, he added.
"A rear-end collision on the Spanish railway network is a truly implausible accident," Puente said. He insisted the network remains safe and compared it with rail systems in other European countries. Survivors described suitcases flying through the carriage and people screaming as the trains came together.
Pressure on the minister
The CSIF trade union demanded that Puente step down. In a statement it accused him of scapegoating a traffic manager during his press conference instead of taking responsibility for the crash. Protesters gathered outside the transport ministry in Madrid, and rail services at Atocha station faced severe delays and cancellations.
Asked whether he was considering quitting, Puente said: "At this moment, what I am thinking about is clarifying this, and I am not thinking about myself."
The crash is Spain's deadliest train accident since 2013 and the second fatal railway disaster in the country in less than a year. The prime minister said the whole country is grieving. Investigators remain at the site and the formal cause is still under investigation.