At least 30 people died and more than 80 were injured when two high-speed trains collided on a Madrid-Seville line near Urda in Toledo province, Spain, on Wednesday morning, October 28, 2026, after a stationary express was struck from behind.
The Train Collision Near Toledo
The disaster unfolded on October 28, 2026, at kilometer marker 118 near Urda in the province of Toledo, according to Spain’s rail system operator ADIF.
Two high-speed passenger trains traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville collided on a flat stretch surrounded by fields between Urda and Los Yébenes.
A person briefed on the disaster explained that an express operated by private rail company Iryo had stopped near Toledo due to a signal fault on orders from infrastructure manager ADIF.
A train operated by Spain’s state-owned Renfe company then struck the stationary Iryo service from behind at high speed, causing several carriages of both trains to derail.
Castilla-La Mancha region spokesperson Esther Padilla reported that 146 passengers traveled on the Iryo train while 397 passengers were aboard the Renfe train.
The impact shredded one carriage into pieces of metal and scattered debris down a gravel slope, while regional television footage displayed a derailed train with several carriages remaining elevated on a section of track above twisted wreckage.
Emergency Teams Rescue Survivors from High-Speed Impact
Emergency responders rushed to the scene within minutes, deploying firefighters, police, ambulances, and rescue helicopters.
Health Minister Mónica García stated that medical teams focused on rescuing survivors and bodies from the two most damaged cars while sending the injured to area hospitals.
It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy.
Mónica Garcia, Health Minister
Miguel, traveling in the rear car of one train with colleagues, described hearing a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds
before seeing a wrecked train through the window.
Eduarda, a passenger on the Iryo service, told Cadena SER radio that she felt a violent push forward before climbing down an embankment to safety.
Eduarda witnessed a fire in one carriage and declared, I saw dead people.
Manuel Galán of the nearby town of Urda, reported that civil protection authorities asked the town council to prepare a sports pavilion to accommodate injured passengers and incoming emergency services.
Spain Faces Crash Before National Election
The catastrophe occurred nine months after an accident between high-speed trains belonging to the same operators on the same line that killed 46 people near Adamuz in Córdoba province.
Over recent decades, Spain has constructed approximately 3,900 kilometers of high-speed tracks, establishing itself as a global leader behind only China.
The October 28 crash struck as the country prepared for a national election scheduled for November 29.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia issued a joint statement sharing in the grief of grieving families and sending support to the injured.
Authorities Suspend Rail Services for Investigation
Transport authorities suspended rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia following the disaster.
Iryo announced the cancellation of all services departing from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha along the Southern Corridor without an estimate for when normal operations would resume.
Iryo noted that it had activated its security protocols and was cooperating with investigators.
While preliminary investigations pointed to the Renfe train rear-ending the stationary Iryo service, regional and transport officials emphasized that the official cause of the crash was not yet known as forensic teams and emergency personnel continued their work at the site.
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