(Madrid, Spain) – Spain will reduce high-speed departures on the Madrid–Seville corridor when service resumes and require a second controller to approve train movements when automatic protection systems are unavailable, under a safety package announced after a collision killed 69 people.

The government approved the measures November 3, alongside €30 million in assistance and advance compensation for victims of the October 28 crash near Urda, south of Madrid. The development moves the response beyond emergency recovery to changes in railway operations and financial support.

According to the government’s published cabinet briefing, reduced frequencies will remain until an extraordinary safety review and deployment of upgraded signalling are completed. The announcement does not establish a reopening date or a final replacement timetable.

Spain in English independently reported that operators would seek to preserve passenger capacity by coupling train units together, allowing fewer departures with more seats. It reported that the newer European Rail Traffic Management System Level 2 is expected to enter service in early 2027.

The second-controller requirement addresses operations when automatic safeguards are unavailable. The package also includes improved control-room software, additional training and broader fatigue monitoring, according to the government.

The Associated Press reported that the October 28 collision occurred after a communications failure affecting the line’s safety system. Controllers subsequently authorized a Renfe train to proceed while an Iryo train remained stationary ahead. Investigations into the disaster continue; the announced safeguards do not constitute a final finding of responsibility.

The financial package is divided equally between direct assistance and advances against liability-insurance compensation. The government says the arrangement is intended to provide money without requiring families to wait for administrative and judicial proceedings to finish.

The response also has consequences for travellers using alternatives to the interrupted railway. The emergency decree includes temporary price restrictions on alternative transport and certain accommodation connected with affected journeys.

The changes follow a second fatal disaster on the Madrid–Seville route this year. AP reported that a January collision killed 46 people and remains under investigation.

Accompanying image: editorial illustration.

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