Second fatal train collision this year casts doubt over Spain’s high-speed rail network

Questions were raised before Toledo crash over rail safety in a country where train travel has surged by 40%

Spain’s high-speed rail network, the most extensive in Europe and the second largest in the world after China, has long ranked as a point of pride in the country. But Wednesday’s deadly crash – the second in nine months – has recast the spotlight on questions about safety.

Officials said at least 64 people were killed on Wednesday morning after two trains collided, leading to the derailment of several carriages. The two trains were carrying 544 passengers.

While the cause of the accident has yet to be confirmed, a source told Reuters that a train operated by the private company Iryo had come to a halt near the city of Toledo…