MADRID, October 28, 2026 (DAILYNWZ) — At least 68 people were killed when a high-speed train collided with a stationary train in Spain on Wednesday, triggering a major rescue operation and a new investigation into railway safety after the country’s second fatal high-speed rail accident this year.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared that “all of Spain” was mourning the victims and pledged a full investigation, saying the government would address any failures uncovered. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the collision occurred after a Renfe train was authorised to proceed despite a red signal triggered by a communications failure in the railway’s computer system.
The system had automatically halted traffic, but an erroneous decision was subsequently made to allow the Renfe service to resume its journey, Puente told reporters in Madrid. The precise sequence of events remains under investigation.
“If we need to further strengthen safety in order to rebuild confidence in our high-speed rail system, we will do so,” Sanchez said in a televised address near the crash site, south of Madrid. He added that the causes of the two accidents this year appeared to be unrelated.
“Rescue Teams Search Wreckage”
The crash occurred at about 9 a.m. local time in rural Castilla-La Mancha, where wreckage was scattered down an embankment after carriages derailed on an elevated section of track. At least three carriages plunged down the slope, and rescuers continued searching the twisted remains as darkness fell.
Regional government head Emiliano García-Page confirmed the death toll had reached 68. Officials could not rule out further fatalities until the damaged carriages could be moved and searched.
Health Minister Monica Garcia said 80 people were injured, including 15 in very serious condition. Ambulances, helicopters and funeral service vehicles gathered at the scene as survivors were evacuated along a nearby road.
Passengers described scenes of panic inside the trains. Salvador Arriza, 62, said people broke windows to escape, while some passengers were trapped between seats and unable to move.
“We were having breakfast, drinking a coffee when we felt a very strong impact and we were sent flying,” said passenger Rafael Barcelo, who had stepped away from his seat to get a coffee shortly before the collision.
A centre was set up at a school in Urda for relatives awaiting news of missing passengers. One woman, identified as Ana, said she had received no information about her husband, Pepe. Police had found their dog, Trece, but her husband’s name was not among those identified.
## Second Deadly Crash This Year
The disaster is Europe’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when a derailment near Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain killed 80 people.
It follows another fatal accident in January involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same line, which killed 46 people and renewed debate over railway maintenance.
Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue before colliding with an Iryo service that was stationary for reasons the company said it did not know. The operator said investigators would need to establish the traffic conditions and the precise circumstances of the impact. Iryo said it had activated emergency protocols, while infrastructure operator Adif did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Spain’s opposition People’s Party cancelled its campaign events for Wednesday ahead of elections next month. Renfe opened a dedicated telephone line for victims’ families and suspended ticket sales on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed corridor until December 13.
“Maintenance Under Scrutiny”
The January crash had already raised concerns about the condition of Spain’s railway infrastructure. A preliminary Civil Guard report in February identified defects in the track, rail or a weld between two track sections as the leading theory, although investigators continued to examine seven other possibilities.
Railway safety authority figures show accidents, including collisions and derailments, rose from 45 in 2016 to 57 in 2024 and 69 last year.
Spain operates roughly 4,000 kilometres of high-speed rail lines. European Commission data show that although the country spent an average of about 1.5 billion euros annually on its high-speed network between 2018 and 2022, only around 16% was allocated to maintenance, renewals and upgrades, with most funding directed towards new construction.
The latest crash comes as passenger numbers have also weakened. An analysis of Spanish competition authority data found that about 25 million people used high-speed trains in the first half of 2026, around 14% fewer than in the same period a year earlier.
The investigation is expected to focus on how the Renfe train was cleared to proceed despite the red signal and why the Iryo service remained stationary. Sanchez has pledged to strengthen safety if the findings show that further measures are needed.