68 Dead in Spain's Second High-Speed Rail Crash This Year

A high-speed train struck a stationary car from behind in the central province of Toledo on Wednesday, killing 68 people. The crash, which occurred in a quiet stretch of rail lined with olive groves, marked the second deadly collision on Spain's high-speed network in 2026. Regional authorities confirmed the death toll after more than 60 fatalities were initially reported, with dozens of survivors being treated in local hospitals.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene in Urda following the accident. He stated that it was unacceptable for Spain to experience two such incidents in a single year and pledged to reinforce the safety of the rail service. The government declared three days of mourning beginning Thursday. Sánchez’s comments came less than four weeks before the national election, a timing that has intensified scrutiny of his administration.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente identified a computer malfunction as the root cause of the disaster. At 8:30 a.m., a security system covering a 63-kilometer stretch of track failed, forcing all trains to halt. An IRYO train stopped near Urda, while a state-owned RENFE train remained 25 kilometers behind. Minutes later, a central command center ordered the RENFE train to resume movement without speed restrictions. The train collided with the stopped IRYO car at 8:53 a.m., even though a stop signal remained active on the line.

Puente said the engineers were not to blame and described the command order as inexplicable. He noted that the train should have either remained stopped or been instructed to move at a reduced speed. Both fatal crashes this year involved one RENFE train and one IRYO train. Spain opened its high-speed rail network to private operators in 2021, with the Italian company IRYO beginning service the following year. The system, which carried 45 million travelers last year, had not seen a deadly crash since it began operating more than three decades ago.

The incident has complicated the political landscape for Sánchez, who called for early elections earlier this month. Polls show his Socialist party facing an uphill battle against right-wing rivals. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the Popular Party, demanded a full investigation and said his party canceled campaign events for the day to respect the victims. Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, criticized the government more sharply, calling it a criminal organization and vowing to work until it faces a courtroom.

Sánchez had posted a message on social media about an hour before news of the crash spread, stating there were many reasons to be optimistic about the country. He now faces questions about rail safety alongside ongoing debates over housing costs, migration policies, and corruption accusations against his party and wife. Workers began using cranes to move debris from the damaged trains late Wednesday, following a day of rescue operations involving firefighters, police, and soldiers.