Facts
- Two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, near the town of Urda in the province of Toledo, central Spain. The collision happened at 8:53 a.m. local time, according to Transport Minister Óscar Puente.
- At least 68 people were killed, according to the Castilla-La Mancha regional government. About 58 others were receiving hospital treatment, CBS News reported, and rescuers were still searching the wreckage, so the toll could rise.
- Both trains were traveling from Madrid toward Seville. A Renfe train, the state-owned operator, carrying 397 passengers ran into the rear of a stopped Iryo train, a private operator, carrying 147 passengers. Two cars derailed.
- The crash happened on a flat stretch with olive fields between Urda and Los Yébenes.
- Puente said a safety system covering a 63-kilometer (39-mile) stretch of line stopped working at 8:30 a.m. because of a computer malfunction, halting all trains on that section.
- He said central command then told the Renfe train to restart without speed restrictions even though a stop signal was still active. He said the train could have been traveling at about 200 km/h (124 mph), but its actual speed was still being studied. He said the train’s engineers were not to blame.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning and called for stronger safety measures to restore confidence in the high-speed rail system.
- A separate high-speed rail crash in southern Spain in January killed 45 people, CBS News reported. Trains from the same two companies were involved.
- The cause has not been officially determined. Investigators have not announced findings.
Quotes
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking after the crash: “Today all of Spain is grieving.”
Transport Minister Óscar Puente, on the question of blame, said: “I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts.”
Source Read CBS News’s report on the crash here.
Image Estación de Madrid Puerta de Atocha, tren AVE con destino Valencia, España. Renfe serie 112 by Carlos Teixidor Cadenas, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
