New phone recording found of Spain train crash driver

The Spanish media has revealed a new phone recording made by the driver of a train which derailed in northern Spain, killing 79 people on the eve of 24^th July.

In the recording the driver, Francisco Jose Garzon, can be heard telling a colleague at Madrid’s central station that he had been driving at 190km/hr instead of 80km/hr after becoming distracted.

The incident took place near the train station in Santiago de Compostela, when a high speed Alvia train carrying 218 passengers en route from Madrid to Ferrol derailed in north western Spain.

According to El Pais newspaper, the audio was recorded shortly after the crash. During the call, made by Mr Garzon to activate the emergency protocol after the train crashed, he is heard saying: “There must be many injured, it (the train) has turned over. I can’t get out of the cabin. Poor passengers, I hope no one has died.”

During the conversation, the driver is also heard describing the bend in the track where the train derailed as “inhuman”. He said: “I had already mentioned to the safety people that this [curve] was dangerous, that one day something like this could happen.”

Both the driver and the state-owned railway firm Renfe are on trial. Mr Garzon is not in jail but remains under court supervision and has been charged with “79 counts of homicide and numerous offences of bodily harm committed through professional recklessness”.

Aastha Gill