68 dead in second Spanish rail crash of the year
The collision occurred in Toledo province four weeks before national elections, with officials citing a failed computer system as the primary cause.
By Carolina Wood ·
Spain’s rail network, which holds the second-largest track mileage in the world, suffered its second fatal accident in twelve months when 68 people died in a rear-end collision. The crash took place in the central province of Toledo, turning a quiet stretch of track bordered by olive groves into a scene of devastation just 24 days before voters head to the polls.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived at the site after regional authorities confirmed the death toll exceeded 60. He stated that the government would launch an investigation to determine how the accident happened and how to prevent future incidents. The system carried 45 million passengers in the previous year, a volume that included millions of international tourists.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente identified a specific sequence of failures as the cause of the disaster. A computer malfunction disabled a safety system on a 63-kilometer segment of track at 8:30 a.m., forcing all trains to stop. An IRYO train halted near the town of Urda, while a RENFE train stopped 25 kilometers behind it. Minutes later, a central command center instructed the RENFE train to resume movement without speed limits. The moving train struck the stationary IRYO service at 8:53 a.m.
Puente noted that the line still displayed a stop signal when the order to move was issued. He added that the train should have been told to proceed at a reduced speed if it was cleared to move. He stated that the engineers were not at fault for the collision.
This incident follows a January crash in southern Spain where 46 people died when a train derailed and hit another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Both accidents involved one train operated by the state-owned RENFE and one from the private operator IRYO. Spain opened its high-speed rail market to private competition in 2021, with IRYO beginning service the following year.
The timing of the crash complicates the political environment for Sánchez’s Socialist party. Polls indicate he faces a difficult re-election bid. Sánchez had previously called for early elections to capitalize on public dissatisfaction with housing costs and high rents. He declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday, a decision that pauses the campaign cycle.
Political rivals reacted immediately to the tragedy. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party, demanded a full investigation and suspended his party’s campaign events for the day. Santiago Abascal, the far-right Vox leader, criticized the government’s handling of the crisis, calling it a criminal organization that must answer for its actions.
Emergency workers, including firefighters, police, and soldiers, worked through the day to rescue survivors and recover bodies. Cranes were deployed late on Wednesday to begin moving damaged sections of the trains. Sánchez posted on social media an hour before the news broke, expressing optimism about the country, a message that now contrasts with the urgency of the safety review.
