28, 2026. File photo: Emergency services work at the scene of a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain, on Wednesday, Oct.
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. The crash occurred on Wednesday when a Renfe high-speed train travelling south from Madrid towards Seville collided with a stationary Iryo train.
File photo: Far-right groups and police face off outside Spain’s Ministry of Transportation during a demonstration to demand the government’s resignation after a high-speed train accident that left several casualties in Madrid, Spain, October 28, 2026. Earlier reporting noted: Spain train crash: Rescue operation continues as some call for minister to step down; election campaigns halted Rescue work is still going on near Urda in central Spain , more than 12 hours after two high-speed trains collided . At least 68 people have died and dozens are injured. He said a 24-hour control centre in Madrid takes control when such failures occur.
Because of the computer problem, the Iryo train, which was carrying 147 passengers, had stopped on the tracks.
The state-owned railway infrastructure manager Adif then took manual control of the system and allowed the Renfe train to continue despite a red signal, Puente said. He described the erroneous order as “inexplicable”. It accused Puente of using a railway employee as a scapegoat rather than “assuming his responsibilities”. The union also said it had warned in September about excessive working hours at Adif. Protesters called for government officials to resign, holding signs reading “Leave!”, “Criminals” and “Corruption kills”. Bright lights lit up damaged train carriages leaning on the tracks, while cranes and cutting tools were used to clear the wreckage, according to the BBC . Earlier reporting noted: According to the BBC , Puente said a computer failure followed by human error caused the crash. However, the centre made an “inexplicable” decision to allow the trains to move again without any speed limits. Iryo said its train was “struck from behind” by the Renfe train, which was carrying 397 passengers. Earlier reporting noted: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “The whole of Spain is grieving” during a visit to the crash site, according to the BBC. “Lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense,” he said. He called it “unacceptable” for Spain to have two serious train crashes in one year. He promised to “get to the bottom of this” and find out if there was any negligence. “If there have been failures in the security system, they will be addressed with the utmost firmness,” he said.
CSIF called on the government to respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence of Adif’s head of traffic. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez has faced a series of political setbacks and corruption scandals involving close associates this year. The demand for the minister’s resignation came as anger over the crash spilled onto the streets of Madrid on Wednesday night.