Transport · Urda, Toledo, and Madrid
Spain declares three days of mourning after high-speed train crash kills at least 68
A Renfe high-speed train hit a stationary train near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, after a control-system failure let it continue through a section that had been ordered to stop.
AI text based on reports by Deutsche Welle, RTE.ie, Bloomberg Business and other publishers. Published . How it is made
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In brief
Deutsche Welle and Bloomberg report at least 68 dead, up from at least 64 in the earlier figure from regional authorities in Castilla-La Mancha, with about 80 injured.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the Urda control system failed due to a computer error, and the Renfe train was told at 8:36 a.m. to resume normally before impact at 8:53.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of mourning and promised a thorough investigation, while Oscar Puente declined to say whether he would resign.
The RFEF suspended all 24 first-round matches scheduled for Wednesday evening, including Real Betis, with a revised schedule to be announced in the coming days.
- 28 OctRenfe train told to resume its journey despite the stop order on the section
- 28 OctHigh-speed train collides with a stationary train near Urda, Toledo province
What happened
On Wednesday morning, 28 October 2026, a Renfe high-speed train ran into a stationary train near Urda in Toledo province, in the Castilla-La Mancha region. RTE, citing the Spanish news agency EFE, reported that the high-speed train crashed into the rear of the other train and derailed two cars. The Guardian put the number of passengers on the two trains at more than 550 in total and said both were travelling in the same direction on the Madrid to Seville line. The death toll has risen during the day. Regional authorities in Castilla-La Mancha, as reported by Mediafax, gave at least 64 dead and about 80 injured, while the later figure of at least 68 dead appears in both Bloomberg and Deutsche Welle. Bloomberg described it as the deadliest crash in more than a decade and the second major accident on Spain's rail network this year.
- Earlier report (regional authorities)
- 64 people
- Latest report (Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle)
- 68 people
Data from the article text
The control failure
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the control system at Urda station had failed because of a computer error. The breakdown left a 63 kilometer stretch of track without a control system, which set off an automatic stop signal for all rail traffic on the affected parts of the line. Even so, the Renfe train was told at 8:36 a.m. to resume its journey normally, a decision Puente called inexplicable. The train covered about 25 kilometers before the impact at 8:53, likely at more than 100 kilometers per hour. Operators at ADIF, the company that manages Spain's railway infrastructure, took over communications. At a press conference at the ADIF control center in Madrid, Puente declined to say whether he would resign, saying his focus was on clarifying what led to the crash and supporting the victims.
Government response
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of mourning and spoke from the crash scene in Castilla-La Mancha.
“All of Spain is in mourning.”
He promised a thorough investigation and argued that a country like Spain should not have endured two such catastrophes in a single year.
Europe and Spanish football
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent her condolences to the victims and their families.
“Europe mourns with you.”
Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy and security chief, spoke with Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares and offered deep sympathy.
“Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.”
EU spokesperson Paula Pinho said the bloc stood ready to help Spain. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) suspended all 24 first-round Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Wednesday evening, along with other RFEF competition fixtures. Real Betis, where Republic of Ireland striker Troy Parrott was in contention for his first Copa del Rey appearance, was among the postponed matches. The RFEF said it would announce the revised schedule and final kick-off times in the coming days. Thursday's fixtures stay on the original calendar, and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid enter in the round of 32 in December, but all three clubs issued statements of condolence.
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Sources and context
- Deutsche WelleSpain: High-speed train crash kills dozens, rescue operations ongoing
- RTE.ieBetis cup game among fixtures postponed after train crash
- Bloomberg BusinessSpain's Sanchez Vows Detailed Investigation of Deadly Rail Crash
- Mediafax.roAll matches scheduled for Wednesday in the Spanish Cup, postponed after the rail accident resulting in at least 64 deathsToate meciurile programate miercuri în Cupa Spaniei, amânate după accidentul feroviar soldat cu cel puțin 64 de morți · original in Romanian
- Pedro Sánchez
- Prime Minister of Spain who announced three days of mourning and promised an investigation
- Oscar Puente
- Spain's Transport Minister who briefed reporters on the control system failure and the train's instructions
- Ursula von der Leyen
- European Commission President who sent condolences
- Kaja Kallas
- EU foreign policy and security chief who sent condolences
- Jose Manuel Albares
- Spain's Foreign Minister, spoken with by Kaja Kallas
- Paula Pinho
- European Commission spokesperson who said the bloc was ready to help Spain
- Troy Parrott
- Republic of Ireland striker who was in contention to make his Copa del Rey debut for Real Betis
- Organizations
- Real Madrid CF
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