A Renfe AVE train reportedly struck an Iryo train near Urda, derailing carriages and suspending high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia
Two high-speed trains collided on October 28, leaving dozens dead and many others injured. Reports put the death toll at 68, although figures have varied as emergency crews continue rescue operations.
Toledo, Spain: At least 68 people have died after a high-speed train collided with the rear of another train that had stopped in central Spain, according to the regional government. The collision derailed carriages and left around 80 people injured.
Emiliano García-Page, head of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said approximately 50 of the injured people were seriously hurt and 15 were in critical condition. He warned that some of the most seriously injured might not survive.
Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said injured passengers were being transported to several hospitals in the region.
The crash occurred early on Wednesday near Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid, on the high-speed railway line connecting the Spanish capital with Seville.
Spain High-Speed Train Crash Involves Renfe and Iryo Services
Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, told Spanish public broadcaster TVE that the trains were travelling in the same direction when one struck the rear of the stationary train, causing two carriages to derail.
The collision involved a Renfe AVE high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville and another train operated by private railway company Iryo.
Padilla said 397 passengers were aboard the Renfe train and 147 were travelling on the Iryo service.
According to emergency service sources cited by Spanish newspaper El País, two carriages of the Iryo train fell down an embankment. Footage circulating on social media showed wreckage scattered along a slope, with rescue crews and members of the public gathered near the damaged carriages.
Health Minister García said emergency workers were focusing on rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the two most damaged train cars.
“It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy,” García told TVE.
Spain Train Crash Prompts Investigation Into Signalling Failure
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a railway control centre decision allowed a train to resume its journey despite a signalling system failure.
Puente said the LZB control system stopped functioning along a 63-kilometre stretch of railway at around 8:30 a.m., affecting six trains, although he said the exact number was uncertain.
With the system unavailable, control was transferred to the Atocha control post. A decision was then made for the Renfe train to resume its journey “normally”.
“The decision to resume traffic without the system having been restored corresponds to the control centre,” Puente said, describing the circumstances as “inexplicable”.
The investigation will examine the sequence of events leading to the collision, including the signalling disruption and the decision to resume train movements.
Spain Announces Three Days of Mourning After Train Crash
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking from Urda, announced three days of official mourning from October 29 to 31.
“Spain is in mourning,” Sánchez said. He pledged that authorities would establish what happened and said any negligence would be identified. He added that system failures would prompt a strong response.
Sánchez also said it was unacceptable for Spain to experience two train accidents in the same year, while noting that the causes of the two incidents appeared unrelated.
In a post on X, Sánchez said he was shocked by the accident and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families. He remained in contact with Transport Minister Puente and García-Page as emergency teams worked at the site.
More than 200 members of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit were working at the crash site. The town council of Los Yébenes said it had gathered food and essential supplies for those affected.
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida said the capital was sending emergency medical teams and firefighters to assist with rescue operations.
Spain’s railway infrastructure operator ADIF suspended high-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia. The Civil Guard also sent a disaster investigation team to the site, according to El País.
Spain Train Crash Follows Another Fatal Accident in January
The collision occurred nine months after another accident involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same railway line. That incident killed 46 people.
few journalists said the latest crash came at a difficult time for the government, with an election expected in just over a month.
Keeley said the government had promised to conduct checks on railway lines across the country after the January accident. He added that passengers on the trains included commuters travelling between Madrid and Seville, as well as tourists.
European Leaders Express Condolences to Spain
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones.
“Today, Europe mourns with you,” she said in a post on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed solidarity with Spain, saying his thoughts were with the victims, their families, the injured and rescue workers.
