A high speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks in central Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens in the country’s second deadly rail collision this year.
The crash, in Toledo province, is the deadliest train accident in Europe since a 2013 derailment in Santiago de Compostela killed 80 people, Reuters said.
“Today all of Spain is grieving,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said from the crash site. He announced three days of national mourning.
What We Know So Far
Spain’s rail operator ADIF said the collision happened Wednesday morning between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, on a flat stretch surrounded by olive fields. Both trains were carrying hundreds of passengers south from Madrid to Seville. A train run by the state owned company RENFE struck the rear of a train run by the private company IRYO that was stopped. The impact derailed two carriages at the tail of the IRYO train and the front of the RENFE train.
Emiliano García-Page, head of the Castilla La Mancha regional government, said the death toll had risen to 68. Rescuers searched the wreckage through the day and into the evening, and did not know whether more bodies would be found once carriages were moved. At least three carriages plunged down an embankment, leaving debris scattered down a gravel slope.
Authorities said 397 passengers were on the RENFE train and 147 on the IRYO train. Ambulances and medical helicopters ran to and from the site, and uninjured survivors were taken away on buses. A military emergency brigade was deployed.
Passengers described the moment of impact. “Suddenly, everything started falling apart,” British tourist Samy Paul told The Associated Press. Ignacio Relaño, aboard the RENFE train, told state broadcaster TVE the train stopped briefly on the line before starting again and hitting the IRYO train. “I hit my nose, everything went flying, luggage, cell phones,” he said. Salvador Arriza said some passengers had to break windows to get out and others were trapped among seats.
Rail service was suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia. RENFE said it opened a special line for victims’ families and suspended ticket sales on the Madrid and Andalusia high speed corridor until Dec. 13.
What Authorities Are Saying
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the crash resulted from an “inexplicable” order from a central command center after a security system failed. At 8:30 a.m., he said, a computer malfunction stopped the security system on a 63 kilometer (39 mile) stretch, which halted all trains there. The command center then told the RENFE train to start again without speed restrictions, and it hit the stopped IRYO train at 8:53 a.m.
Puente said the train should not have been told to move while a stop signal was active on the line, and at least should have been told to go at reduced speed. He said the engineers were not to blame. Authorities were still working out the train’s speed, which could have been 200 kph (124 mph) on that stretch. “I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts,” he said.
RENFE said its train “continued on its way as instructed,” and that the IRYO train had been stationary “for reasons we don’t know.” It said the investigation must establish the exact sequence of events. IRYO said it activated emergency protocols. IRYO and ADIF did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Sánchez, who is due to face a national election Nov. 29, said the “terrible tragedy” would be investigated and that any failures would be addressed. He said the causes of Wednesday’s crash and January’s appeared unrelated. “It is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” he said.
King Felipe VI visited the crash site. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said “Europe mourns with you.” Spain’s soccer federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey games scheduled Wednesday. The opposition People’s Party canceled its campaign events for the day.
Differing Accounts
The sources differ on the injured and the timing. The AP, citing the Castilla La Mancha government, said another 58 people were being treated in hospitals. Reuters, citing Health Minister Monica Garcia, said 80 people were injured, 15 of them very seriously. The AP, citing Puente, put the collision at 8:53 a.m., while Reuters, citing a regional government spokesperson, said about 9 a.m. local time (0800 GMT).
The cause is described differently as well. Puente blamed the order from the central command center, while RENFE said it proceeded as instructed and did not explain why the IRYO train had stopped.
Why This Matters
Spain’s January crash killed 46 people when an IRYO train jumped the track and hit an oncoming RENFE train, sending the first two cars of one train down a four meter (13 foot) slope. It was the deadliest in Spain since 2013. Before this year, there had been no fatal crash on Spain’s dedicated high speed lines since the network opened in 1992. A preliminary Civil Guard report in February pointed to defects in the track, rail or a weld as the leading theory behind January’s accident, though investigators kept seven other possibilities open.
Spain has laid about 3,900 kilometers (2,400 miles) of high speed track over three decades, more than any country except China. It opened its network to private companies only recently. The Italian owned IRYO began operating in 2022. Joan Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the train workers’ union, told TVE the increased traffic from liberalization has strained infrastructure. “I am not saying it was a determining factor,” he said, but the rise in use is a factor to keep in mind.
Spain’s railway safety authority has reported that accidents, including derailments and collisions, rose from 45 in 2016 to 57 in 2024 and 69 last year. European Commission data shows Spain’s maintenance investment in its high speed lines has lagged other large European countries. Spain spent about 1.5 billion euros a year on average on the network from 2018 to 2022, more than any other European country, but about 16% went to maintenance, renewals and upgrades. A Reuters analysis found 25 million passengers used high speed trains in the first half of 2026, down around 14% from a year earlier.
What Happens Next
An investigation will establish the sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the train’s speed. Sánchez has promised to strengthen safety if needed to rebuild confidence in the high speed system. Spain is in three days of national mourning.
Sources: the Associated Press and Reuters
