High-speed train collision near Urda kills at least 68 in Spain

A high-speed passenger train operated by Renfe collided with a stationary Iryo train near Urda in the province of Toledo, about 130 kilometres south of Madrid, on Wednesday morning. The crash, which occurred at 8:53 a.m. local time, derailed several carriages and sent two down an embankment, resulting in at least 68 deaths and more than 108 injuries, including 58 serious cases, among the 544 passengers on board the two trains.

Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure at 8:30 a.m. halted six trains along a 63-kilometre stretch of track. After a rail-control centre worker instructed drivers to resume travel, the Iryo train remained stationary due to difficulty restarting, a fact that was not communicated to the Renfe train driver. The Renfe train then proceeded past a red signal and struck the stationary train.

"The decision to allow the Renfe train to proceed despite a red signal is inexplicable," Puente said, adding that the drivers were not at fault.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived at the scene within hours, declared three days of national mourning and pledged a thorough investigation. He noted that two high-speed accidents in one year are unprecedented for Spain and called for improvements to the rail system.

The incident follows a fatal high-speed crash in January that killed 46 people on the same line. A February preliminary report by the Civil Guard had suggested possible track defects, but several other scenarios remain under review. The latest collision adds pressure on the government ahead of the upcoming snap election.

Spain’s railway safety authority reports a rise in accidents and rail-related problems over recent years, while most of the €1.5 billion annual spending on the high-speed network has been directed toward new infrastructure rather than maintenance.