Five years earlier, the European Union gave Spain €160 billion to modernise its infrastructure, according to Pablo Motos. The presenter raised the figure after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in Toledo province, on Spain’s Madrid to Seville route on 28 October. A Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo service travelling in the same direction. The collision derailed two rear carriages of the Iryo train and the front section of the Renfe train. Motos questioned whether rail infrastructure had been properly maintained. The funding he cited covered all infrastructure; the source does not identify it as rail-only.
'El Hormiguero' had cancelled its previous broadcast and returned on Thursday, one day after the crash. The programme retained its usual interview format and tone, but dropped its opening dance. By 29 October, the reported death toll had reached at least 69, with dozens injured.
Before the show began, Motos spoke about the victims and their families. He described the phone call people may one day receive to hear that someone they love has died, and the absences that follow in everyday life. He also reflected on death and shared advice, though the supplied account does not specify what that advice was.
Earlier reporting covered families searching for missing passengers. Motos also challenged the political handling of rail safety. He said passengers place their trust in the system and argued that the public had been misled. High-speed rail, he said, had once been a source of pride for Spain, but the crash had made people afraid to travel by train.
Preliminary accounts said a railway control-system failure had stopped six trains. The Renfe train was then authorised to resume its journey and travelled about 25 kilometres before hitting the stationary Iryo service. Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the decision to allow traffic to resume as “inexplicable”; he said the system failure affected 69 kilometres of track. Adif investigated the sequence of events. High-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended after the collision.
He questioned where the money intended for infrastructure maintenance had gone, citing the €160 billion in European funding. His closing demand was for an end to lies. Spain began three days of national mourning on 29 October. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged to establish the cause of the crash.
