Railway safety: when human error is a symptom of the system

The recent train accidents in Spain highlight systemic deficiencies in railway safety protocols. The Urda incident, resulting in 69 fatalities, raises questions about the adequacy of safety measures following a technical failure. Immediate causes point to human error, but the underlying issue is the system's failure to prevent predictable mistakes from leading to catastrophic outcomes. Effective safety requires automatic protections and rigorous verification processes to ensure safe operations. The need for comprehensive risk analysis and robust protocols is emphasized, alongside the importance of independent investigations into systemic failures. Learning from international best practices can help improve Spain's railway safety culture and infrastructure.