Spain Train Collision Kills 68 in Country's Second Deadly Rail Crash This Year

A high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville crashed into the back of another train that had stopped on the tracks in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, killing at least 68 people and injuring 58 others, according to regional officials in Castilla La Mancha.

The collision involved a train operated by state-owned company RENFE and one run by private operator IRYO. The impact derailed two carriages near the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, scattering wreckage across a rural area. Rescue teams, including a military emergency brigade, continued searching the debris for survivors and bodies.

Spain's transport minister said a signal system on a nearby stretch of track had failed due to a computer malfunction, prompting all trains in the area to stop. He said a central command center then mistakenly ordered the RENFE train to resume without any speed restriction, despite an active stop signal, leading it to strike the stationary IRYO train. He said investigators were still determining the train's exact speed but noted it could have been traveling around 200 kph, and that the engineers were not at fault.

Passengers described the train suddenly braking before the collision threw them forward, scattering belongings and causing injuries. Local workers and residents rushed to help pull people from the wreckage before emergency services arrived.

Spain's prime minister called the crash a tragedy for the nation and announced three days of national mourning, also urging stronger safety measures for the high-speed rail system. Spain's king and queen visited the site and expressed condolences, as did the European Commission president. Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended following the crash.

The incident marks the second fatal high-speed rail collision in Spain this year, after a crash in January involving trains from the same two companies killed dozens of people in southern Spain.