Two high-speed trains collided south of Madrid on October 28 after a computer failure and an erroneous control-center order allowed one to proceed against a red signal, killing at least 68 people.
Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, killing at least 68 people in Spain’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013.
A Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo train from behind on the Madrid–Seville line after a computer communications failure triggered an automatic stop across a 63-kilometer stretch. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the control center then issued an erroneous order authorizing the Renfe service to proceed without speed restrictions despite a red signal.
Regional authorities reported 147 people aboard the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe service. Multiple carriages derailed, with some plunging down an embankment.
Officials from Castilla-La Mancha confirmed the rising death toll, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of mourning while vowing a full investigation. The crash follows a January collision on the same corridor that killed 46.
Transport Minister Puente’s account of the sequence, the passenger numbers from regional spokesperson Esther Padilla, and the death toll from local president Emiliano García-Page are corroborated across Reuters, BBC and New York Times reporting. No independent official investigation findings have yet been released.
The incident has suspended services on the line and prompted the Spanish football federation to cancel Copa del Rey matches. Further details on the exact number of injured and any formal findings from the probe will determine next steps.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Negative
- Sánchez: whole country is grieving
- Puente: decision was inexplicable