A press conference lasting over an hour and a half goes a long way. Oscar Puente’s last appearance was about problems with the Spanish railway system, the naming of the Atocha operator responsible for the line or whether he was going to resign.
And among the many statements, one in particular stands out.
170 times. The LZB safety system used on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line has fallen so far this year. This is what Oscar Puente said during his speech. This means that, on an average of 300 days between January 1 and October 28, 2026, the system reflected problems more than half of the day.
in normality. According to Puente, these figures fall within European normality. Even so, he assured, the data of problems with the system is stable and the number of signal interruptions has decreased in the last two years.
What Puente did not confirm was whether these problems were more or less common than lines with ERTMS systems installed. The protocol will be launched in January 2027, according to the Transport Minister. Data on the number of system failures in Europe is also not given, only that it is “within normal”.
signal interruption. Consulted by both mechanics Xataka Spokesmen for the Spanish Union of Railway Machinists (Cemaf) confirmed that transmission problems with the LZB system are recurring.
Of course, they assure us that usually this infection damage is temporary. They describe it to us, in fact, as a computer that crashes and shuts down unexpectedly but only a few seconds later it is already working. The difference this time is that the system has dropped over a section of more than 60 km and is not common as advised by Semaf and train drivers.
The statement simply indicated that 170 incidents have been recorded with the LZB system so far this year, but did not assess how many of them were as serious as the one on October 28.
Safe but outdated. At the press conference they emphasized that the LZB system is safe and has not been replaced by ERTMS because of this problem. The line, which should have this more modern active system, has been updated because the LZB is obsolete: fewer spare parts are produced and the European Union needs to make this system available due to the interoperability between countries, essential with the liberalization of the railways.
When asked about this, the machine farmers emphasized Xataka That system is secure and confirms Puente’s statement. Although the LZB system has been installed on line since 1992 and the technology dates back to the 1970s, LZB is as safe as the most modern ERTMS.
As for the trend, however, those we spoke to have a slightly different opinion. They confirm that the system is secure and the change is subject to European mandates but they point out that the most modern versions of ERTMS offer benefits that reduce risk. It is just as safe but more reliable.
Low risk of failure. Part of these risks, the Railway Circulation Union (SCF) tells us, lie in the physical components of the LZB system. The wire contains copper which makes it more attractive to steal. They also explain that connections with the ERTMS system are more reliable so the number of signal interruptions should be lower.
Semaf shares this view and points out that the fewer interruptions there are, the less intervention a human has to make to manage traffic on the line, which should reduce the chances of errors.
Picture | Ministry of Transport
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