A high-speed AVE train struck the rear of a stopped Iryo train at the Urda station, in Toledo, on Wednesday morning, on the Madrid–Seville line.
According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, a computer failure disabled the LZB protection system on a 63-kilometre section at around 8:30, automatically stopping six trains. Traffic was then restarted manually from the Adif control centre in Atocha, and the AVE was reportedly allowed to proceed at normal speed. Puente called the decision “erroneous” and “inexplicable”. The investigation will determine the causes.
The LZB, installed in 1992, is no longer manufactured, and its replacement with the European ERTMS system was awarded in 2021 for €93.83 million over a 52-month contract. The works are still unfinished.
