At least 68 people died and about 80 were injured early on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, after a high-speed train collision near Urda in Toledo province, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. The crash involved two trains traveling along the Madrid-Seville high-speed rail corridor.
Collision Details and Carriage Derailments
The incident occurred when a Renfe AVE high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of a stationary train operated by the private company Iryo. This rear-end collision caused two carriages to derail. Two carriages of the Iryo train fell down an embankment near the crash site.
Passenger Numbers and Rescue Operations
The Renfe train had 397 passengers on board, while the
Iryo train carried 147 passengers at the time of the collision. Rescue operations involved over 200 personnel from the Military Emergencies Unit, alongside emergency medical teams and firefighters dispatched from Madrid. Injured passengers have been transported to regional hospitals, with 50 reported seriously injured and 15 in critical condition.
Signal System Failure and Control Center Decisions
The collision followed a failure of the LZB signaling control system at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time along a 63-kilometer stretch of track between Madrid and Andalusia. Control was temporarily transferred to the Atocha control post. Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated that despite the signaling failure, the control center authorized the
Renfe train to continue its journey. He described the decision to resume traffic without restoration of signaling as “inexplicable.”
Official Responses and Mourning
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced three days of official mourning from October 29 to 31 following the deadliest rail accident in Spain this year. Sanchez pledged a thorough investigation, emphasizing accountability if negligence or system failures are confirmed. He said, “We will get to the bottom of this, and if there was negligence, it will be revealed, and if there were system failures, there will be a strong response.” Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano Garcia-Page confirmed fatality and injury figures.
Health Minister Monica Garcia described the crash as a high-speed impact and ongoing efforts to rescue survivors and recover the deceased.
Impact on Rail Services
Spanish railway infrastructure operator ADIF suspended all high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia following the accident. Ticket sales on the affected corridor are blocked until at least December. Renfe and Iryo have announced free cancellations and changes for passengers holding tickets on the suspended routes. The Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail corridor remains closed with no estimated time for reopening.
Context and Investigation
This is Spain’s second major train accident in 2026, coming nine months after a January collision on the same line
involving the same operators that resulted in 46 deaths. The government had committed to comprehensive safety checks nationwide following that earlier crash. The Civil Guard has dispatched a disaster investigation team to the crash site near Urda. The incident coincides with an election scheduled in just over a month, a period described by a journalist as politically sensitive for the present government.
