Spain declares mourning after second fatal rail crash kills 69 in Toledo

URDA, Spain, Oct. 29, 2026: A high-speed train collision in the province of Toledo left 69 people dead on Thursday, marking the second fatal rail disaster in Spain this year. The crash occurred on a stretch of track lined with olive groves, where at least three carriages were thrown onto a gravel slope. Search teams with sniffer dogs continued their work on Thursday morning, assisted by cranes and soldiers picking through the wreckage.

Emiliano García-Page, the regional leader of Castilla La Mancha, confirmed the updated death toll after one more body was found overnight. He stated that 50 people remained hospitalized. García-Page noted that identification work was complex, explaining that besides full bodies, there were body parts requiring identification. The Spanish government declared three days of mourning starting Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning at 8:53 a.m. Transport Minister Óscar Puente attributed the crash to a computer malfunction in the central command system. At 8:30 a.m., a security system covering a 63-kilometer stretch failed, forcing trains to stop. An IRYO train halted near Urda, while a RENFE train stopped 25 kilometers behind it. Minutes later, central command ordered the RENFE train to move again without speed restrictions, despite an active stop signal. The moving train struck the stationary one.

Spain’s high-speed rail network, the second largest in the world after China’s, had not experienced a deadly crash since its inception three decades ago. This year alone, 115 people have died in two separate accidents on the same Madrid-Seville line. In January, 46 people died when a train jumped the tracks and collided with another. Both incidents involved state-owned RENFE and private operator IRYO, which began service in 2022.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site in Toledo on Wednesday. He pledged an investigation and improvements to rebuild trust in a system that carried 45 million travelers last year. Sánchez said it was unacceptable for Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year. The crash comes four weeks before a national election, a time when Sánchez hoped to capitalize on voter discontent over housing costs.

Political rivals quickly weighed in on the disaster. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party, demanded a full investigation and canceled his party's campaign events to respect the victims. He said Spaniards are asking tough questions that demand answers. Santiago Abascal, leader of the far-right Vox party, called the government a criminal organization and vowed to work tirelessly until it faced a courtroom.

Óscar Puente, the transport minister, faced questions about resigning after the second major wreck under his watch. He said he was focused on dealing with the collision rather than his future. The high-speed line between Madrid and Seville remains shut down, stranding thousands of travelers. RENFE has suspended online ticket sales for the service until mid-December.

The crash has intensified scrutiny of the rail network's safety protocols. Central command officials admitted the order to restart the RENFE train was inexplicable. The government is now tasked with determining how the stop signal failed to prevent the collision while the network recovers from its second fatal incident in less than ten months.