Fatal Collision Between Two High-Speed Trains in Spain Began with an Unusual Operator Instruction

A horrific collision involving two high-speed trains has occurred in Spain. The incident is said to have begun with an unusual instruction from the rail traffic operator.

ABC News and CNN reported on Thursday (29 October 2026) that Spain’s Transport Ministry said the collision took place at about 8.30am local time on Wednesday (28 October), at kilometre 118 near Urda.

The crash involved a Renfe train and an Iryo train, both travelling from Madrid to Seville.

Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said the accident was almost impossible to believe. He said the initial investigation indicated that it had been triggered by an ‘unexplained’ instruction from rail traffic control.

The instruction, he said, allowed one of the high-speed trains to continue travelling even though a safety issue had left another train stopped on the same track.

According to Puente, a computer system failure had temporarily stopped six trains that were moving, including, he said, the two trains that later collided.

‘If there is a system failure, the control centre takes over,’ Puente said.

He added that the control centre then decided to allow the trains to resume their journeys without speed restrictions. Puente said this decision led to the Renfe train striking the Iryo train, which was stopped on the track ahead.

The Renfe train was reportedly travelling at 124 miles per hour, or about 200 kilometres per hour, when it hit the stationary Iryo train. The collision killed 68 people.