At least 68 people have died after two high-speed trains collided in Spain, marking the country’s second major rail disaster this year.
The crash occurred at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday near the towns of Mora and Orgaz in the Castilla-La Mancha region, south of Madrid. Several carriages derailed, with at least three plunging down an embankment.
Rescue workers searched the wreckage for survivors and additional victims as emergency teams deployed ambulances, helicopters and other equipment to the scene.
Spain’s Health Minister, Monica Garcia, said 80 people were injured, including 15 who sustained very serious injuries.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the country was mourning the victims and promised a full investigation into the disaster.
In a televised address near the crash site, Sanchez described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and pledged to address any failures uncovered by investigators.
He also said the causes of Wednesday’s crash and the earlier rail disaster in January appeared to be unrelated.
“If we need to further strengthen safety in order to rebuild confidence in our high-speed rail system, we will do so, because what is unacceptable for a country like Spain is to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” Sanchez said.
Red signal failure suspected
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a Renfe train was authorised to continue its journey despite a red signal that had been activated because another train was stationary ahead.
According to Puente, a computer communications failure triggered the signal and automatically halted rail traffic. However, an incorrect decision was subsequently made to allow the Renfe train to proceed.
Renfe said its train continued along the route after receiving authorisation before colliding with an Iryo train that had remained stationary for reasons that were still unclear.
“The exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact will have to be established by the investigation,” the railway operator said in a statement.
The regional government said 147 people were aboard the Iryo train, while 397 were travelling on the Renfe service when the collision occurred.
The impact derailed two carriages of the Iryo train.
Survivors describe chaos
Passengers described scenes of panic as the collision threw people from their seats and trapped others inside the damaged carriages.
A passenger, Rafael Barcelo, said he had moved away from his seat to get coffee shortly before the crash.
“We were having breakfast, drinking a coffee when we felt a very strong impact and we were sent flying,” he said.
He added that at least eight people from his carriage had died.
Another passenger, 62-year-old Salvador Arriza, said people smashed windows to escape from the wreckage, while some passengers remained trapped between seats.
At a school in Urda where relatives gathered for information, a woman identified as Ana said she had received no news about her husband, Pepe. Although police had found their dog, Trece, her husband had not been identified among the victims.
Renfe said it had established a special telephone line for families affected by the crash. It also suspended ticket sales on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail corridor until December 13.
Second deadly rail crash this year
Wednesday’s collision follows another fatal accident in January involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same railway line. That incident killed 46 people.
A preliminary report by Spain’s Civil Guard in February identified possible defects in the track, rail or a weld connecting two sections of track as the leading theory behind the January crash. Investigators, however, continued to consider other possible causes.
The latest disaster is Europe’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when a train derailed near Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain, killing 80 people.
Spain’s railway safety authority has also reported a rise in accidents involving collisions and derailments, from 45 in 2016 to 57 in 2024 and 69 in 2025.
Questions over railway maintenance
The latest crash is likely to renew scrutiny of railway safety and maintenance spending in Spain.
Data from the European Commission showed that Spain spent an average of about €1.5 billion annually on its high-speed rail network between 2018 and 2022, more than any other European country.
However, much of the spending went towards constructing new lines rather than maintaining existing infrastructure. Only about 16 per cent was allocated to maintenance, renewals and upgrades.
Meanwhile, a Reuters analysis of data from Spain’s competition authority found that approximately 25 million passengers used the country’s high-speed trains in the first half of 2026, representing a decline of about 14 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
Spain’s opposition People’s Party cancelled all campaign events scheduled for Wednesday ahead of elections next month.
Authorities said investigations would determine the precise circumstances of the collision and whether any operational or technical failures contributed to the deaths.
