Second fatal train crash in a year shakes Spain ahead of vote

Spain’s high-speed rail network suffered its second fatal accident in 2026 on Wednesday.

The crash in the central province of Toledo resulted in the deaths of 68 people. Dozens of others were treated in local hospitals. The incident occurred in a rural area lined with olive groves. This stretch of track had been quiet until a train struck another vehicle from behind.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site after regional authorities confirmed the death toll. He pledged a full investigation into the cause of the collision. The government declared three days of mourning starting Thursday. Sánchez stated that Spain needs to reinforce safety measures to rebuild public trust. He noted it was not acceptable for the country to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year.

This disaster follows a January crash in southern Spain where 46 people died. In that incident, a train jumped the track and hit another moving in the opposite direction. Both crashes involved a state-owned RENFE train and a private IRYO train. Spain opened its high-speed rail market in 2021. The Italian operator IRYO began service in 2022.

The timing of the crash creates political pressure for Sánchez. He called for early elections earlier this month, hoping to capitalize on voter discontent over housing costs. Polls already showed his Socialist party facing an uphill battle in the first national vote since 2023. The rail disaster adds a new layer of scrutiny to his administration. Right-wing opponents are also attacking his migration policies and raising corruption accusations against his party.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente identified human error as the likely cause. He explained that a security system failure stopped all trains on a 63 kilometer stretch of track at 8:30 a.m. A central command center then ordered the RENFE train to resume movement without speed restrictions. The train collided with the stationary IRYO train at 8:53 a.m. Puente said the stop signal was still active and the train should have moved slowly if it moved at all.

Political rivals have reacted to the tragedy. Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded a full investigation and canceled campaign events for the day. He said the party would respect the dead while demanding answers from the government. Far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal used harsher language. He called the government a criminal organization and vowed to keep working until it faced the courtroom.

Emergency workers, firefighters, police, and soldiers worked through Wednesday to recover bodies and rescue survivors. Cranes began moving parts of the damaged trains late in the day. The rail system carried 45 million travelers last year, including millions of tourists.