Spain is shaken by a new railway tragedy. At least 50 people have died and another 179 were injured on Wednesday morning after two high-speed trains collided in the province of Toledo, on the Madrid-Andalusia line. There were over 500 passengers on the two trains, and the death toll could rise.
The accident occurred near the town of Urda, between a Renfe AVE train and a train of the private operator Iryo. As a result of the impact, two carriages derailed and fell onto an embankment. Footage from the scene shows the scale of the disaster.
Initial information indicates a possible error in directing railway traffic. The Renfe train reportedly received permission to depart, although the Iryo train was still on the track. However, the exact cause of the collision has not been established.
High-speed train traffic between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his shock at the tragedy, and Romanian authorities are checking whether Romanian citizens are among the victims.
The accident is already more serious than the one in Adamuz, from January 2026, in which 46 people died.
Spotmedia.ro is following the situation closely and presents, in LIVE TEXT format, the most important information, reactions, and images from the scene of the tragedy:
- Message from Nicuşor Dan, on X: "I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic railway accident that occurred today in Spain. My thoughts go out to the many people who lost their lives and to their families. I wish a speedy recovery to all the injured. Romania stands in solidarity with Spain and its people in these difficult times."
- Confirmed toll by Civil Protection: At least 50 dead and over 179 injured - At least 50 people have died and over 179 were injured in the collision between the two high-speed trains in the province of Toledo, according to Civil Protection of Castilla-La Mancha, cited by Antena 3 Spain. Civil Guard agents at the accident site confirmed that at least four carriages overturned. Rescue operations continue, and the death toll may increase.
- Over 540 passengers on the two trains - The Iryo train had 146 passengers, including a baby, and the Renfe AVE train had 397 passengers, according to data provided by the spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, Esther Padilla. In total, 543 passengers were on the two trains involved in the accident, reports OKDiario.
- A possible human error at the center of the investigation - Initial information points to a possible error by an operator of the railway infrastructure manager Adif, after a signaling system malfunction. The AVE train reportedly received permission to depart, although the Iryo train was still on the track. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the collision, and the exact cause has not been determined.
- Phone numbers for victims' families - The railway companies Renfe and Iryo have made special phone lines available for people seeking information about relatives involved in the accident. Renfe can be contacted at 900 10 10 20, and Iryo at 900 00 14 03. Both companies have activated assistance protocols for victims and their families, reports laSexta.
- Emergency plan activated. A center for survivors - The Castilla-La Mancha regional government activated at 9:15 local time the territorial emergency plan PLATECAM. Firefighters, Civil Guard, civil protection teams, and medical personnel were mobilized to the accident site. Authorities organized an advanced medical point for evaluating the injured and transporting them to hospitals. The sports hall in the town of Urda was made available for providing first aid and assistance to affected persons.
- Train traffic between Madrid and Andalusia suspended - The railway infrastructure manager Adif announced the suspension of traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line following the collision between the two trains. Renfe allows passengers affected to modify or cancel their tickets. According to Heraldo, the operator Iryo has canceled services departing from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha to southern Spain and stated there is currently no estimate for resuming traffic.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs checks if there are Romanians among the victims - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest has initiated steps to obtain official information regarding the citizenship and identity of victims of the railway accident in Spain. Up to the time of the information provided, the Romanian consulate in the region had not received requests for consular assistance related to the tragedy.
How the accident happened
The collision occurred on Wednesday, October 28, shortly after 9:00 a.m., on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed railway line, at kilometer 118, between the towns of Mora, Orgaz, and Urda, in the province of Toledo.
The accident involved a Renfe AVE train and a train from the private operator Iryo, both traveling on the Madrid–Seville route.
According to initial information provided by a spokesperson for the Spanish Ministry of Transport, the AVE train hit the Iryo train from behind. The impact was so strong that two carriages of the Iryo train derailed and fell onto an embankment.
El País writes that the Renfe train had slowed down and stopped a few minutes before the collision due to traffic problems on the line.
Initial information indicates a possible failure of the safety system, which led to the stopping of about eight trains in the area. Subsequently, the trains were reportedly given permission to resume movement, but the Iryo train apparently failed to start and remained on the track.
According to the same source, an operator at the Atocha railway control center in Madrid mistakenly gave the Renfe train the order to depart, although the track was still occupied by the Iryo train. The AVE train thus hit the stationary train from behind. The speed at the moment of impact has not yet been determined.
However, this is just one of the hypotheses being analyzed by investigators. The exact causes of the accident have not been established, and Spanish authorities will clarify whether it was a human error, a technical failure, or a combination of both.
A new railway tragedy, nine months after Adamuz
The accident brings back attention to the tragedy on January 18, 2026, in Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, where 46 people died, also in an accident involving Renfe and Iryo trains. Until Wednesday’s tragedy, the Adamuz accident was the worst railway disaster in Spain in the past 13 years.
In July 2013, an Alvia train traveling the Madrid-Ferrol route derailed on a curve near Santiago de Compostela. The accident resulted in 80 deaths and 145 injuries.