According to the timeline now known, a collision between two high-speed trains in the province of Toledo, which killed dozens, might have been avoided had the trains been cleared in the opposite order. Recordings released show that at 8:36 the Atocha control centre authorised the Renfe AVE, travelling behind, to resume normal running, although the protocol after the signalling failure required running on sight at 40 km/h. The Iryo ahead was only cleared at 8:41.
Five minutes later, the Iryo driver reported being unable to set the train in motion. There is no record that the AVE was warned to slow or stop, and at 8:53 it struck the rear of the Iryo after covering about 25 kilometres.
Investigators are looking at a chain of failures rather than the reversed order alone. Authorities stress that no final conclusions have been reached, and Spain's transport minister said the AVE should not have resumed running under those conditions. The crash, on the Madrid–Seville line near Urda, left at least 69 dead.