Spain begins three days of mourning after high-speed train collision kills 69

Summary

On Wednesday, one high-speed train struck another from behind in Toledo province in central Spain, south of Madrid, killing at least 69 people and injuring more than 100, according to reports. It is Spain's second deadly high-speed rail accident this year. A January crash on the same Madrid-Seville line killed 46 people. France 24 reports that a state-operated Renfe service ploughed into a stationary train belonging to the private company Iryo. Spain has begun three days of mourning, and emergency services are searching the wreckage in the town of Urda while relatives wait for news. The crash has raised fresh concerns about rail safety ahead of a national election and has dealt a blow to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's campaign. Experts and members of the public accuse his government of underinvestment in railway infrastructure after years of rapid network expansion.

Timeline

1. France 24

   29 Oct 2026, 13:01 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that one train struck another from behind in Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year, killing 69 people, and that three days of mourning have begun.

2. France 24

   29 Oct 2026, 14:50 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that the Wednesday crash in Toledo province killed 69 people, came nine months after another deadly crash on the same line, and drew accusations of underinvestment in railway infrastructure under Sánchez's government.

3. ABC

   29 Oct 2026, 15:53 UTCSource ↗

   ABC reports that Spain has begun three days of mourning after its second high-speed rail collision this year killed 69 people.

4. The Guardian

   29 Oct 2026, 18:26 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that at least 69 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a crash between two high-speed trains, with emergency services searching the wreckage in Urda and growing public anger over the incident.

5. Channel NewsAsia

   30 Oct 2026, 02:21 UTCSource ↗

   Channel NewsAsia reports that the accident happened on a key line linking Madrid to Seville, which was also the scene of a January collision that killed 46 people.

6. France 24

   30 Oct 2026, 10:05 UTCSource ↗

   France 24 reports that the toll from the country's second high-speed train collision this year rose to 69, and that a Renfe service ploughed into the back of a stationary Iryo train south of Madrid on Wednesday morning.