Spain train crash caused by operator 'inexplicably' telling driver to resume journey despite red signal, transport minister says

The Renfe high-speed train that crashed into another stationary train had been told to continue its journey 'as normal' despite the fact that all trains on the section of track in Toledo province had been told to stop, Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente has said.

Puente told a press conference at the ADIF control center in Madrid that the control system at the train station in Urda had failed due to a computer error.

That failure meant that a 63-kilometer section of track had no control system, which triggered an automatic stop, or 'red signal,' for all rail traffic on the parts of the track affected.

Operators at the control center ADIF, the company that is responsible for managing and maintaining Spain's railway infrastructure, took over communications.

He said that between that time and the moment of impact at 8:53, the Renfe train had traveled about 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), likely reaching a speed of over 100 kilometers (60 miles) per hour.

Deadly collision in Toledo

At least 64 people have been killed, while more than 80 people have been injured in one of the worst rail accidents in Spain's history.

The collision in Toledo on Wednesday morning comes just months after another devastating rail disaster near Adamuz in Andalusia in January.

In that accident, a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train, killing 46 people and injuring more than 150.

The crash was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people. The January incident shook the confidence the European country has in its extensive high-speed rail network.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is traveling to Urda, where two high-speed trains collided.

In a post on X, the Moncloa Palace, the prime minister's official residence, said Sanchez was heading to Urda to 'support the work of the emergency teams and to convey his support to those affected and their families.'

Spain's royal family has issued a statement following the deadly train crash in Toledo.

In a post on X, the royals said they are 'deeply saddened and distressed' over the accident.

Spain's King Felipe VI, meanwhile, told reporters in Valencia that he was cutting short his military training exercise at the Jaime I Military Base to return to Madrid to monitor the emergency response to the accident.

Felipe added that he had already been in touch with the regional Castilla-La Mancha president.

EU leaders offer support

Senior European Union leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas have sent their condolences to the victims of the high-speed rail crash and their families.

Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy and security chief, said she had spoken to Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares to convey her 'profound condolences following the tragic accident.'

"Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives. I wish a swift recovery to the injured and strength to all those affected," Kallas said.

European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho, meanwhile, said the bloc was 'ready to help Spain if needed.'

Investigation and aftermath

The death toll from the accident has risen to at least 64, a spokesperson for Castilla-La Mancha's regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, has said.

At least 58 people were injured, many of them seriously, officials have confirmed.

The toll has risen several times during the day, with the possibility remaining that it could still go up.

The president of the regional Castilla-La Mancha government, Emiliano Garcia-Page, has told reporters at the scene of the accident that at least 80 people were lightly or moderately injured as a result of the crash.

"There are also fewer who were seriously injured, so we unfortunately do expect more deaths," Garcia-Page said.

He added that the priority is to treat the injured and move them to hospital.

"We are in the heart of the emergency, so the priority is to attend to the injured, the dead and the victims' families," he said.

Help is arriving from neighboring regions, the president said, as he urged people to remain calm and to allow the emergency services to deal with the accident.

He also refused to speculate on what caused the accident.

"I'm not the one who should comment on the causes, that should come from judicial authorities. The judicial authorities should be the ones to establish the causes of this incident," he said.

A passenger on one of the trains involved in Wednesday's deadly crash has described the moment the collision occured.