What Caused Two High-Speed Trains to Collide Near Toledo, Spain?

As of October 29, 2026, the death toll of the Spain train collision has risen to 69 people, while the number of passengers and crew injured is still pending confirmation.

The deadly collision between the Iryo and Renfe AVE passenger trains is the deadliest passenger train incident since the Alvia high-speed train derailment on July 24, 2013.

At 8:41 p.m. at the Angrois curve four kilometers outside Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, the train entered the left-hand curve at 111 miles per hour, 61 miles per hour more than the posted speed limit, causing a derailment that killed 79 people and injured 143.

47 trains carry roughly 10,000 passengers between Madrid and Seville every day, operated by the state-owned train company Renfe, alongside privately owned Iryo and SNCF Ouigo.

On October 28, 2026, when the LZB speed and signal system failed, Madrid-based control center operators took manual control as six trains, including the ones involved in the crash, came to a stop.

While the Renfe high-speed train was still held at a red signal, a controller cleared it to resume its trip at high speeds, causing the deadliest train crash in Spain since 2013.

Based on an immediate preliminary investigation, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente, who has held the position for two years and 11 months, pointed to human error and liable judgement by the Madrid traffic controls.

While the computer crash caused trains within the 39-mile stretch of track to come to a stop until the safety system was back online, this has not led to his resignation.

With two major train crashes in a little over a decade, SEMAF and transport workers' rail unions have criticized staff shortages, heavy controller workloads, and aging safety infrastructure on busy routes across Spain.

Overall, considered one of the safest rail networks in Europe, Spain’s train infrastructure now faces scrutiny.