The FCDO has issued new advice to British people travelling in Spain after a train crash killed 69 people and injured dozens of others near Toledo on Wednesday
The FCDO has issued new advice for people travelling to Spain (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
The Government has issued new advice to British nationals travelling in Spain, warning of “significant disruption”.
At least 69 people were killed and dozens more injured after two trains crashed on Wednesday morning near the town of Urda, in the province of Toledo.
A high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville, operated by state-owned railway company Renfe, crashed into the back of a stationary train on the same track, between the municipalities of Mora and Orgaz.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has warned British holidaymakers heading to Spain: “Significant disruption to rail services is expected.”
Those requiring assistance or seeking information about passengers affected by the crash are advised to contact Renfe on +34 900 10 10 20. The FCDO urged British nationals or their family members who are affected by the crash to contact the nearest British embassy or consulate on +34 91 714 6300.
Anyone travelling to Spain via France should check the travel advice for France before setting off. Those planning to enter Spain via Gibraltar are also advised to consult the travel advice for Gibraltar.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Wednesday that 43 miles of track had been affected by an outage of the automatic control system, bringing all trains in the area to a halt.
But the control centre decided to “resume traffic in circumstances that, from our point of view, are inexplicable”, Puente said. The Renfe train travelled around 15 miles before striking the stationary train, which was operated by private company Iryo.
The control centre “had more than enough time to verify the error, and they did not fix it”, Puente added.
During a visit to the crash site, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faces a general election on November 29, vowed to establish the cause of the crash.
“We are working day and night not only to support the victims’ families, but also to establish every last detail of this tragedy and strengthen safety measures to ensure it never happens again,” he said.
In January, two high-speed trains collided in the southern region of Andalusia after one derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, killing 46 people. The investigation into that crash is ongoing.
Spain’s government has faced mounting criticism over its management of Spain’s railways.
Train drivers went on strike on Thursday “to defend rail safety”. The industrial action had been called before Wednesday’s deadly crash.