At least 68 people died and about 80 were injured early on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, when two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province, central Spain. The crash involved a Renfe-operated AVE train and a train operated by Iryo on the high-speed line running from Madrid to Seville. Medics and emergency teams, including over 200 Military Emergencies Unit members, remain on site responding to the incident.
Signaling Failure and Control Center Decisions Linked to Crash
The collision occurred around 07:00 GMT (08:30 local time) when the Renfe AVE train rear-ended the stationary Iryo train traveling in the same direction. Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente reported a failure
in the LZB signaling system along a 63-kilometer stretch, which affected multiple trains between Madrid and Andalusia. Control shifted to the Atocha center, where the decision was made to allow the Renfe train to proceed without the signaling system being restored, a move the minister called “inexplicable.” This is Spain’s second deadly high-speed train accident in 2026; a similar crash nine months earlier killed 46 people on the same line.
Official Responses and Declared Mourning
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced three days of official mourning from October 29 to 31 following the disaster near Toledo. Sanchez pledged a thorough investigation into possible negligence or
systemic failures, stating, “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.” He described two deadly train accidents in one year as “unacceptable for a country like Spain.” Castilla-La Mancha regional head Emiliano Garcia-Page confirmed casualty figures and is coordinating the regional response. Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida dispatched emergency medical and firefighting teams to the site.
Passenger Numbers and Emergency Efforts
The Renfe AVE train was carrying 397 passengers and the Iryo train had 147 on board at the time of the crash. Two
carriages from the Iryo train derailed and fell down an embankment. Health Minister Monica Garcia reported that of the approximately 80 injured, around 50 are seriously and 15 critically wounded, with some unlikely to survive. Rescue operations focus on extracting survivors and managing casualties from the most damaged carriages. The local council of Los Yebenes has provided food and supplies to support those affected. Railway infrastructure operator ADIF has suspended all high-speed rail services between Madrid and southern Andalusia pending investigation.
Impact on Rail Services and Ongoing Investigation
The collision halted rail traffic on the Madrid-Seville high-speed corridor, affecting daily commuters and tourists. ADIF and the Civil
Guard dispatched teams to investigate the crash circumstances. Transport Minister Puente highlighted the failure of the signaling control system and questioned the decision to permit train movement without full system restoration. The tragedy adds pressure on Spain’s authorities ahead of national elections in just over a month. This crash is the deadliest rail accident in Europe since 2013.
