Sanchez made an evaluation to the press after his visit to the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (Cecopi) in Toledo, accompanied by Castile La Mancha Autonomous Government President Emiliano Garcia Page and Interior Minister Fernando Grande Marlaska.
"Confidence in the high-speed train system in our country is being shaken." Sanchez said, promising to find solutions as the government to restore this trust and prevent other train accidents of such a magnitude.
The Prime Minister of Spain stated that there were victims from 27 different nations among the dead and injured in the train accident and said, "All government units, all public officials are working tirelessly to provide information to the families of the victims as quickly and reliable as possible." he said.
Minister Puente: "It is unacceptable for a train to hit a stopped train from behind"
Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Oscar Puente Santiago also held a press briefing within the scope of the investigation into the accident.
Puente, like Prime Minister Sanchez, noted that after the high-speed train accident, which occurred for the second time this year, the confidence in Spanish railway transportation was "destroyed", but the belief in the system continued.
The Spanish Minister said, "If I did not have trust and faith, I would not travel by train myself, nor would I allow any member of my family to do so. However, the events that took place are extremely exceptional. We must regain this trust." he said.
Claiming that the malfunction in the LZB system at Urda station, which was one of the factors that caused the accident, was normal by European standards, Puente said, "There have been 170 incidents related to the LZB security system in 2026 so far, and this number is within European norms." gave the information.
Puente argued that the allegations of personnel shortage do not reflect the truth, and stated that the number of personnel working in the field of auditing and regulation has increased significantly in recent years.
"It is unacceptable for a train to hit a stopped train from behind." Puente said, "Trains always break down. Whatever the reason for the train stopping, the important thing is that it stopped and there is no train running behind it on the same line." he said.
Puente responded to the "resignation" demands from the opposition by saying, "My responsibility is to appear before you and the public and be accountable." He emphasized that he would not resign.
Strike call from railway sector employees
On the other hand, the unions affiliated with railway employees and machinists called for a strike on 10-12 November.
The SFF-CGT union stated that the majority of problems in railways in Spain have not been solved, and the latest accident once again shows the need to keep the debate open about the railway model and the working conditions of its supporters.
train crash
In the accident that occurred in Spain on October 28, at 08.54 local time (10.54 UTC), the AVE high-speed train belonging to the Renfe company, operating from Madrid to Seville, crashed into another high-speed train belonging to the Iryo company, which was standing in the same direction between the Urda and Los Yébenes settlements in the Toledo region.
69 people died and more than 50 people were injured in the accident.
According to initial findings, it was announced that the accident was caused by human error in the main signaling system, and that the AVE, which was instructed to proceed despite the red light, was traveling at a speed between 170 and 200 kilometers per hour, faster than normal.
