A rear-end collision between two passenger trains on Spain's Madrid–Seville high-speed corridor claimed at least 68 lives on Wednesday, October 28, making it one of the deadliest railway disasters in the country's history. The crash happened near the town of Urda in the central province of Toledo.
Two Trains, 544 Passengers, One Track
Spain's rail infrastructure operator ADIF reported that the collision occurred at approximately 8:54 a.m. A Renfe AVE high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train on a flat stretch of olive fields between Urda and Los Yébenes. The impact knocked two carriages off the rails — one was torn apart — and scattered debris down a nearby gravel slope. Both trains were carrying a combined 544 passengers, with both services travelling southward from Madrid to Seville on the same track at the time of the crash.
Death Toll Confirmed, Dozens More Injured
Castilla-La Mancha regional President Emiliano García-Page confirmed the death toll of at least 68, as reported by Spanish news agency EFE. More than 100 people were injured, 15 of them seriously, Spanish media reported. Officials cautioned that the toll could increase as emergency crews worked their way through the most heavily damaged carriages.
Signalling Failure Preceded the Impact
Transport Minister Óscar Puente told reporters that a computer malfunction had disabled the line's LZB signalling and automated safety system, triggering an automatic halt for all trains along a 63-kilometre section. Control of train movements was transferred to ADIF's operations centre at Madrid's Atocha station.
According to Puente, the Atocha control centre authorised the AVE to resume normal speed at 8:36 a.m. — 17 minutes before the collision — even though an active red signal still indicated that the Iryo train was occupying the track ahead. Puente described the authorisation as "inexplicable" and said the AVE may have been travelling at up to 200 kilometres per hour at the moment of impact. He acknowledged that precisely what transpired in those 17 minutes remained unclear, but ruled out resigning over the incident.
ADIF Operator Questioned by Guardia Civil
Spanish outlet Demócrata reported that Spain's Guardia Civil has questioned the ADIF control centre operator who cleared the AVE to proceed despite the red signal still being active. That authorisation decision has become the focal point of the early investigation. The Sindicato Ferroviario rail union urged caution, saying it would be irresponsible to assign blame for human error before the formal inquiry concludes.
Iryo Says Its Driver Was Still Waiting for Instructions
Sources close to Iryo told Spanish media that the driver of its stationary train had contacted the control centre requesting permission to move but received no reply. The driver was still awaiting instructions when the AVE collided with the rear of the Iryo service. In an official statement, Iryo confirmed that its service 6076 was struck from behind near Urda, adding that the cause of the crash remained unknown and that the company was cooperating with ADIF, Renfe, and relevant authorities.
Military and Local Authorities Mobilised
A military emergency brigade was dispatched to assist firefighters, police units, and medical teams at the crash site. Urda Mayor Manuel Galán said civil protection authorities had requested that the town ready a sports pavilion to accommodate injured passengers. Hospitals in Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan issued calls for blood donations as they managed the surge of casualties.
National Mourning and Rail Suspension
The Spanish government declared three days of official national mourning, published in the Boletín Oficial del Estado. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cleared his schedule to oversee the emergency response. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed deep sorrow and conveyed their support for the victims' families and the injured. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for an immediate government-led investigation into the incident.
High-speed rail services linking Madrid and Andalusia were suspended in the wake of the crash. Operator Ouigo halted all its trains on the corridor until at least Monday, November 2, according to Spanish media reports.
Second Fatal High-Speed Crash in Nine Months
The Urda disaster is the second deadly high-speed rail crash in Spain within nine months, according to reports citing Spanish media coverage of the incident.
Source: EFE / Spanish media pool
Updated October 29, 2026: The number of injured has been updated to more than 100, citing later Spanish media reports.