Sánchez Faces Rail Safety Crisis Weeks Before Spanish Election

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of mourning after a second high-speed rail crash killed 68 people this week. The collision occurred in the central province of Toledo, where one train struck another from behind. Regional authorities confirmed the death toll after more than 60 fatalities were initially reported, with dozens of others treated in local hospitals.

This is the second deadly accident on Spain's rail network in less than a year. In January, 46 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the tracks and hit another moving in the opposite direction. Until these incidents, the system had not suffered a fatal crash since launching over three decades ago. The network is the second largest in the world by track mileage, trailing only China.

The crash happened just four weeks before Spain’s national election. Sánchez visited the site in Toledo, where olive groves line the tracks. He pledged an investigation into the cause and promised improvements to prevent future tragedies. The system carried 45 million travelers last year, a figure that includes millions of tourists. Sánchez stated that it is not acceptable for the country to endure two such accidents in the same year.

The accident involved a state-owned RENFE train and a privately operated IRYO train. Spain opened its high-speed rail market to private companies in 2021. IRYO, an Italian company, began service the following year. Both parties are now at the center of a political dispute as the government prepares for votes in the first national election since 2023.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente explained that human error at a central command center caused the crash. He said a computer malfunction stopped the security system on a 63-kilometer stretch of track at 8:30 a.m. This forced all trains to stop. The IRYO train halted near the town of Urda, while the RENFE train stopped 25 kilometers behind it. Minutes later, dispatchers ordered the RENFE train to restart without speed limits. The train moved and collided with the stationary IRYO train at 8:53 a.m.

Puente noted that the RENFE train should have remained stopped because a stop signal was still active. If it had moved, dispatchers should have ordered reduced speed. He said the engineers on the ground were not to blame for the incident. Workers used cranes late Wednesday to move damaged parts after hundreds of emergency personnel rescued survivors and recovered bodies throughout the day.

Political rivals are using the tragedy to challenge Sánchez’s leadership. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the Popular Party, demanded a full investigation. He canceled his party’s campaign events for the day to show respect for the victims. Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, called the government a criminal organization. He promised to work until the government faces a courtroom to answer for its actions.

Sánchez called for early elections earlier this month, hoping to capitalize on public frustration with housing costs and high rents. He posted on social media about an hour before the crash that there were many reasons to be optimistic about the country. He now faces tough questions about rail safety alongside attacks on his migration policies and corruption accusations against his party and his wife.