Emergency services work at the scene of a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain
In January, 46 people died when an IRYO train derailed in southern Spain and struck an oncoming RENFE train. Authorities said 397 passengers were aboard the RENFE train and 147 on the IRYO service when the two trains collided. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez visited the latest crash site and announced three days of national mourning.
“Today all of Spain is grieving,” prime minister Pedro Sánchez said, as he announced three days of national mourning following the deadly collision. “It is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” he added.
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha said 58 people were receiving medical treatment in hospitals. Meanwhile, while addressing reporters in Madrid, Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said a computer communications failure disrupted the railway safety system, automatically stopping trains along a 63-kilometre (40-mile) stretch of track. 28, 2026. Earlier reporting noted: Spanish trade union CSIF has demanded the resignation of transport minister Óscar Puente following a collision between two high-speed trains that killed at least 68 people and injured around 100, accusing him of shifting responsibility onto a railway official instead of accepting accountability. The collision followed a disruption to the railway safety system along a 63-km stretch of track between Madrid and Seville, which automatically stopped trains in the area, Puente said.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said authorities had not yet established what led to the accident. The failure was followed by a decision to allow a southbound RENFE high-speed train to proceed despite a red signal, breaking the protocol, he said. “We demand that the Government respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence for the head of traffic at ADIF,” the union said.
Rescue teams searched the wreckage for survivors and bodies as emergency services worked to evacuate passengers from the most severely damaged coaches. The RENFE train hit the stationary IRYO train, knocking two carriages of the latter off the tracks and derailing the front of the former. The cause of the collision remains unknown. Following the minister’s remarks, the Spanish trade union CSIF called for restraint while the investigation continued and urged the government to respect due process.
Both trains were travelling south from Madrid towards Seville when the collision occurred on Wednesday morning, according to Spain’s rail infrastructure operator ADIF. Earlier reporting noted: Spain train collision sparks protests, calls for transport minister’s resignation File photo: Emergency services work at the scene of a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain, on Wednesday, Oct. Earlier reporting noted: The crash occurred on Wednesday when a Renfe high-speed train travelling south from Madrid towards Seville collided with a stationary Iryo train.