The Council of Ministers gave the green light this Tuesday to a specific plan to reinforce high-speed rail security in Spain, following the accident recorded in Urda (Toledo) on last October 28, in which 69 deaths have been counted so far.
The strategy includes technological advances through new software for control centers, the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor the network’s operation, and the completion of the deployment of the ERTMS N2 system on the Madrid-Seville corridor.
Óscar Puente has stressed that international organizations place Spanish rail among the safest in the world, although he has acknowledged that the latest accidents show the "imperative need to reinforce" the system. He admitted the "seriousness" of the situation and assured that the Ministry and Adif will work "without rest" to recover public trust.
On the operational side, management protocols will be reviewed to introduce cross-validation mechanisms. In this way, any decision adopted in a control center in 'degraded' circulation situations —when automatic blocking systems are not available— must be supervised and validated, at a minimum, by a second human controller.
At the same time, the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) will review the regulations and operation of the system and will promote an independent technical study to assess the incorporation of new passive safety measures in the carriages. Among them, the redesign of luggage areas will be analyzed to turn them into closed compartments that prevent projections in sudden braking or impacts.
As for technological innovation, renewed software will be developed for the control centers that incorporates automatic alerts, electronic phone call logs, validation checklists and improved visual ergonomics, so that it is "easier" to identify the position of the trains and the state of the tracks, according to the minister.
AN AI AGENT WILL BE CREATED
The plan also foresees the creation of an AI agent and a digital twin of the railway network to monitor the system’s operation, anticipate possible risk scenarios, detect anomalies and monitor communications between drivers and controllers, with the aim of facilitating the work of staff and minimizing the margin of human error.
At the same time, the deployment of ERTMS N2 on the Madrid-Sevilla line will be completed —in accordance with the already established plan— and an "extraordinary and immediate" audit of its safety systems will be carried out by AESF, in order to update the one carried out in November 2025.
While both works are completed —something expected for the beginning of 2027— the frequency of trains on this corridor will be reduced.
The "initial idea" is to adjust the frequencies "trying not to lose much capacity", combining trains in double composition and a lower hourly offer, with the purpose of maintaining the service while guaranteeing at the same time the maximum level of safety, Puente has specified.
Lastly, in the human resources section, the plan includes improving the working conditions of the controllers, strengthening staff levels, and expanding continuous training programs.