At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, marking the country's second major deadly rail accident this year and prompting renewed concerns about railway safety.
The crash occurred on Wednesday, October 28, in the province of Toledo, when a train operated by state-owned rail company Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train operated by private company Iryo, derailing carriages and scattering wreckage down an embankment.
The trains were travelling from Madrid to Seville in southern Spain.
Authorities said hundreds of passengers were aboard the two trains. The Renfe train was carrying approximately 397 passengers, while the Iryo train had about 147 people on board.
Rescue workers, firefighters, police and military emergency personnel were deployed to the scene to search the wreckage for survivors and recover victims. The injured were transported to hospitals, while uninjured passengers were evacuated from the area.
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha confirmed the death toll had reached at least 68, with dozens of others receiving medical treatment. Authorities warned that the toll could rise as rescue operations continued.
Spain's Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said preliminary information indicated that a computer malfunction had disrupted the railway's security system along a 63-kilometre stretch of track.
According to the minister, trains operating on the affected section had been ordered to stop. However, the central command centre subsequently instructed the Renfe train to resume its journey without speed restrictions, despite a stop signal remaining active. The train later collided with the stationary Iryo service.
Puente described the decision to allow the train to resume its journey as “inexplicable”, while stressing that investigators were still examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. He said the train's speed at the time of impact was also being investigated.
Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended following the crash as emergency operations and investigations continued.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his scheduled engagements to focus on the disaster and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also conveyed their condolences, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed sympathy for those affected.
Second deadly crash in nine months
The disaster comes nine months after another high-speed train collision near Adamuz, in the southern province of Córdoba, killed 46 people in January 2026.
In that incident, an Iryo train derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe train. The crash prompted debate about railway infrastructure, track maintenance and safety oversight. Investigations into the January accident have examined possible defects in the track or rail joints, although the cause has not been conclusively established.
Spain has invested heavily in high-speed rail infrastructure over the past three decades, building one of the world's largest networks. However, the latest accidents have renewed scrutiny of the safety systems and maintenance arrangements supporting the expanding network.
Wednesday's collision is among Spain's deadliest rail disasters in recent years and has intensified calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
