Spanish PM pledges to establish cause of deadly train crash

URDA

Cranes lift wrecked train carriages as rescuers search for victims following a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. (AP Photo)

Spain began three days of mourning on Oct. 29 after its second high-speed rail collision this year killed 69 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones.

One of Europe's deadliest train disasters this century has raised fresh questions about safety on Spain's rail network after the transport minister reported an "error" and "inexplicable circumstances" that led to the crash.

During a visit to the crash site, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faces a general election on Nov. 29, pledged to establish the cause of the crash.

"We are working day and night not only to support the victims' families, but also to establish every last detail of this tragedy and strengthen safety measures to ensure it never happens again," he said.

The collision happened in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha on Oct. 28 morning when a service by state operator Renfe ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to private Spanish company Iryo.

Sniffer dogs and thermal drones were deployed at the crash site a few kilometers from the village of Urda on Oct. 29 to search for bodies, the regional government said, raising the death toll to 69 from 68.

Flags flew at half-mast on public buildings with official ceremonies and public events canceled or scaled back.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on Oct. 28 that an automatic control system went down on 69 kilometers of track, causing all trains there to be stopped.

But the control center decided to "resume traffic in circumstances that, from our point of view, are inexplicable," Puente said, with the Renfe train travelling 25 kilometers before striking the Iryo.

The control centre "had more than enough time to verify the error, and they did not fix it", he added.

In January, two high-speed trains collided in the southern region of Andalusia after one of them derailed and crossed onto the adjacent track, killing 46 people.

The investigation into that accident is ongoing, but the left-wing government faced heavy criticism over its management of Spain's railways.

Train drivers went on strike on Oct. 29 "to defend rail safety." The strike had been called before the Oct. 28 crash.