A collision between two high-speed passenger trains near Urda in central Spain killed at least 68 people on 28 October, prompting the suspension of services and ticket sales on a key route between Madrid and southern Spain.
More than 100 people were injured, with regional authorities reporting that 58 had been taken to hospital, including 15 in critical condition. The crash involved trains operated by state railway company Renfe and private operator Iryo.
It was the second fatal high-speed train collision on the same line in nine months, following an accident in January that killed 46 people.
Renfe has suspended ticket sales on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed corridor for travel through 13 December.
The operator is also allowing passengers on affected services to change or cancel their tickets without charge. The measures apply to the disrupted services, rather than constituting a nationwide suspension of rail sales.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said services had been halted on a 69km stretch of track following a technical failure in an automatic control system.
According to Puente, the Renfe train subsequently resumed its journey and travelled 25km before colliding with the stationary Iryo train. He questioned the control centre’s decision to restart traffic before the system had been restored.
Emergency teams continued searching the site into the night. Castilla-La Mancha’s regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, warned that the death toll could rise as recovery work continued.
Spain is observing three days of national mourning for one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history.