68 People Killed in High-Speed Train Collision in Spain

JAKARTA — At least 68 people were reported killed in a train accident in Toledo, Spain, on Wednesday (28 October 2026). A high-speed train collided with another train.

The collision involved a high-speed AVE train operated by Spain’s state railway company, Renfe, and another train owned by private company Iryo. The accident occurred while the AVE was travelling from Madrid to Seville.

The AVE 20280 was reported to be carrying 397 passengers, while the Iryo 6076 had 147 passengers on board.

Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said the LZB control system had experienced a fault at around 8.30am local time before the accident, affecting a 63-kilometre stretch of track. This affected six trains, although Puente said the exact number had not yet been confirmed.

The LZB (Linienzugbeeinflussung) system used on Spain’s high-speed railways is an automatic, continuous train-protection and signalling system (ATP). Developed by Germany’s Siemens, it transmits track-signal information directly to a display in the driver’s cab.

The system is essential for high-speed trains travelling above 220 kilometres per hour, as at such speeds drivers cannot clearly see physical signals beside the track in time.

During the collision, when the system was not working, control was transferred to the Atocha control centre. It was there that the decision was made to allow the AVE to continue its journey “normally”.

“The decision to continue traffic without first restoring the system was the control centre’s responsibility,” Puente said, describing the situation as “inexplicable”.