Spain train collision sparks protests, calls for transport minister’s resignation

File photo: Emergency services work at the scene of a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain, on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026.

Spanish trade union CSIF has demanded the resignation of transport minister Óscar Puente following a collision between two high-speed trains that killed at least 68 people and injured around 100, accusing him of shifting responsibility onto a railway official instead of accepting accountability.The crash occurred on Wednesday when a Renfe high-speed train travelling south from Madrid towards Seville collided with a stationary Iryo train. The collision followed a disruption to the railway safety system along a 63-km stretch of track between Madrid and Seville, which automatically stopped trains in the area, Puente said.

File photo: Far-right groups and police face off outside Spain's Ministry of Transportation during a demonstration to demand the government's resignation after a high-speed train accident that left several casualties in Madrid, Spain, October 28, 2026.

The state-owned railway infrastructure manager Adif then took manual control of the system and allowed the Renfe train to continue despite a red signal, Puente said.

He described the erroneous order as “inexplicable”.CSIF called on the government to respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence of Adif’s head of traffic. It accused Puente of using a railway employee as a scapegoat rather than “assuming his responsibilities”. The union also said it had warned in September about excessive working hours at Adif.The demand for the minister’s resignation came as anger over the crash spilled onto the streets of Madrid on Wednesday night.

Around 500 demonstrators gathered outside the Transport Ministry, with some throwing bottles and flares at police, Reuters reported. Police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd.Protesters called for government officials to resign, holding signs reading “Leave!”, “Criminals” and “Corruption kills”. Prime minister Pedro Sánchez has faced a series of political setbacks and corruption scandals involving close associates this year.Meanwhile, rescue workers continued searching the wreckage under floodlights, with more than 500 emergency personnel deployed to the site. Sánchez has promised a thorough investigation, saying any negligence found would be dealt with firmly. Rail services between Madrid and the Andalusia region remained suspended for Thursday.