Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has promised to establish the causes of the train collision that killed at least 68 people near Urda in the Toledo province of Castilla-La Mancha, pledging decisive action over any safety failings, while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said grief must not prevent demands for answers.
Speaking at the emergency command post in Urda on Wednesday, Sánchez announced three days of official mourning, from 29-31 October, and said supporting victims and their families was the government’s immediate priority.
‘We will get to the bottom of this, and if there has been negligence, it will be uncovered; if there have been failures in the safety system, we will respond firmly,’ he said.
The disaster occurred shortly before 9am when a RENFE high-speed AVE travelling from Madrid to Seville struck a stationary Iryo train near Urda station. Carriages derailed and fell down an embankment, leaving dozens injured as well as the mounting number of dead. ALSO READ: At least 68 dead and over 50 injured in high-speed train collision near Toledo.
Sánchez: two tragedies in one year are unacceptable
Sánchez acknowledged the damage to public confidence caused by two major high-speed railway disasters in the same year, following January’s fatal collision at Adamuz in Córdoba (Andalusia). ALSO READ: Spain’s train crash victims mourned as families call for truth and justice.
He said such a situation was unacceptable in a country like Spain and pledged further measures to strengthen safety.
‘Very probably, everything points to the causes of the two accidents being unrelated, but that is not for me to say,’ he said, adding that the conclusions must come from the railway accident investigation commission, the justice system and the examinations undertaken by Adif, RENFE and the wider railway sector.
The government would take whatever measures were considered necessary, he said, both to restore confidence in high-speed rail and to improve protection for passengers. ALSO READ: Sánchez: Spain’s rail network is ‘not perfect but safe’, vows ‘justice will be done’ for victims’ families.
‘Today Spain is in mourning,’ Sánchez said, expressing solidarity with bereaved families and wishing those still in hospital ‘a speedy recovery’.
‘Behind each of the people who have died today are shattered lives, broken families, and also the anguish of those families who still do not know the whereabouts of their loved one. And, of course, there is a great deal of pain, which the whole of Spanish society naturally shares.’
Feijóo: ‘Grief does not oblige us to remain silent’
In a separate statement at the opposition People’s Party (PP) headquarters, party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for explanations about the collision and said the public had a right to know the condition of the country’s infrastructure.
Dressed in mourning, the PP leader said it was ‘not the day’ to debate political responsibility. Nevertheless, he made clear that his party would demand the answers Spaniards were seeking.
‘Grief does not oblige us to remain silent,’ he said.
His intervention placed the demand for accountability alongside the immediate expressions of sympathy for victims, as questions intensified over how two trains could collide on the same high-speed track.
Control-centre decisions under scrutiny
Shortly before Sánchez spoke, Transport Minister Óscar Puente outlined the events preceding the collision during a press conference at Adif’s Atocha control centre. ALSO READ: Transport Minister says decision to let AVE proceed before fatal Toledo crash was ‘inexplicable’.
Puente stopped short of formally attributing the disaster to human error. His account, however, raised questions about the instructions issued after a computer communications fault disabled the LZB train control and protection system.
According to the minister, controllers took over the management of railway movements following the failure, as required by the procedures. The AVE train was then authorised to resume normal running even though the Iryo remained stopped several kilometres ahead.
The Guardia Civil has questioned the Adif control-centre operator who was managing traffic on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line at the time of the collision, investigation sources told Spain’s Europa Press news agency.
The questioning forms part of the inquiries into the disaster, which is also being examined by the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF). The precise causes and individual responsibilities have yet to be established.
Support for families takes priority
Sánchez said assistance for victims and their relatives must encompass both practical help and psychological support.
He praised the ‘extraordinary professionalism’ of emergency personnel and Civil Protection teams, alongside the cooperation between the authorities involved in the response.
The prime minister specifically acknowledged the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, Toledo’s provincial authority, the town councils of Urda and Los Yébenes, and the other regional and provincial administrations that had offered assistance.
Sánchez travelled to Urda around midday to support emergency teams and convey his solidarity to those affected. Earlier, he had said he was in constant contact with Puente and Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page as the rescue operation unfolded.
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España está de luto. Toda nuestra solidaridad con los familiares de las víctimas y con los heridos, a quienes deseamos una pronta recuperación. Nuestra principal prioridad son las víctimas. Una vez más reconocemos el gran trabajo de los servicios de emergencia y la extraordinaria coordinación entre las instituciones. Trabajamos para esclarecer el origen de esta tragedia. Si ha habido negligencias o fallos, se sabrá. Y se actuará con contundencia. Reconstruiremos la confianza en nuestro sistema de alta velocidad.
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) October 28, 2026
Urda (Toledo). 28-10-2026. Dolor, solidaridad y exigencia. https://t.co/hmDN1oDTm8
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) October 28, 2026
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