Spain train crash puts rail safety under scrutiny as death toll hits 69

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Spain train crash puts rail safety under scrutiny as death toll hits 69

2026-10-31 15:15 Last Updated At：17:12

Spain's rail safety is under scrutiny after a high-speed train collision in Toledo province killed 69 people, with investigators revealing that the automatic train control system had failed shortly before the crash.

The collision occurred on Wednesday morning on the high-speed railway line connecting Madrid and Seville. A Renfe high-speed train struck a stationary Iryo train from behind near Urda station in Toledo province, causing several carriages to derail, with some falling down an embankment.

Spain's independent rail accident investigation body said in a preliminary report on Thursday that the automatic train control system of the Renfe train had failed about 22 minutes before the collision.

Investigators initially estimated the speed of the Renfe train at between 160 and 200 kilometers per hour, pending confirmation from onboard data recorders. The cause remains under investigation as investigators continue to identify the deceased.

Spain began three days of national mourning on Thursday for the victims. Rail workers and union representatives observed a moment of silence at Madrid's Atocha station, where floral wreaths were laid at one of the capital’s main railway hubs. The crash disrupted high-speed services between Madrid and southern Spain, with some trains canceled and passenger numbers at the station lower than usual.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Friday that confidence in the country's high-speed rail system has been broken. He pledged to propose measures to strengthen the system, in addition to the investigation into the cause.

Border with U.S. can not be changed by state-level government: Mexico

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said Friday that border between Mexico and the United States can not be changed by the decision of a state-level government, and the demarcation of boundary between the two countries must follow standards established by international treaties.

The Texas General Land Office, a U.S. state agency led by Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, has declared nine islands in the Rio Grande, known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico, property of the state of Texas.

In response, the ministry said that under the 1970 Mexico-U.S. Boundary Treaty, the international boundary in the river follows the center line of the normal channel and that line determines sovereignty over the land on either side, regardless of who previously held sovereignty over it.

The International Boundary and Water Commission is the body authorized by the two governments to carry out the treaty and has the power to determine on which side of the boundary each island lies, the ministry said, noting that no state-level government body has the authority to make such determinations.

It stressed that under the treaty, neither side may build works that the International Boundary and Water Commission finds could alter or obstruct the normal flow of the river.

The ministry said Mexico will closely monitor any actions in the area and reiterated that it will abide by the treaty governing the two countries' shared border and continue to pursue dialogue through established mechanisms.