The crash near Urda involved Renfe and Iryo trains traveling toward Seville and left scores injured as rescuers searched the wreckage.
URDA, SPAIN — At least 68 people were reported dead Wednesday after two high-speed passenger trains collided on Spain’s busy Madrid-Seville rail corridor, leaving scores more injured and sending rescue crews into heavily damaged carriages near the town of Urda in Toledo province.
The Oct. 28 collision involved a train operated by Spain’s state-owned Renfe and another operated by private rail company Iryo. Both were traveling south from Madrid toward Seville when the Renfe train struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped on the line, according to authorities and rail operators. The impact derailed several cars and sent some down an embankment. Officials warned during the rescue effort that the death toll could rise as emergency crews reached more of the wreckage.
The crash occurred along the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed route near kilometer marker 118, between the communities of Mora, Orgaz and Urda. Rail infrastructure manager Adif suspended traffic on the high-speed line linking Madrid with Ciudad Real and Andalusia after the collision. Trains already on the corridor were held at stations, while assistance centers were established at major terminals including Madrid, Seville, Córdoba and Málaga.
Authorities had reported sharply rising casualty figures throughout the day as rescuers worked through the damaged trains. Early reports listed 10 deaths before regional officials raised the count to about 30. Later updates put the toll above 60. Reuters reported at least 68 deaths as the rescue operation continued. More than 100 people were reported injured in later accounts, although casualty numbers remained subject to change as officials reconciled information from hospitals and the crash site.
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha activated its territorial emergency plan shortly after the crash and later raised the response to a higher emergency level. Officials requested assistance from Spain’s Military Emergency Unit as firefighters, Guardia Civil officers, health workers, civil protection teams and other emergency personnel converged on the area. A field medical post was established to triage injured passengers and coordinate transfers to hospitals.
Renfe said the accident involved its AVE service that had left Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha station for Sevilla Santa Justa and an Iryo train on the same corridor. The company activated its crisis cabinet and assistance plan for railway accident victims and their families. Iryo also activated emergency procedures and worked with authorities responding to the collision.
The precise sequence that allowed one high-speed train to reach another stopped on the same track remained under investigation. Spain’s transport minister said the Renfe train had been authorized to continue despite an active red signal because another train was stopped ahead, Reuters reported. Other early accounts also pointed to questions about signaling and traffic-control procedures. Authorities had not issued a final determination of the cause, and initial assessments could change as investigators examine rail-control records, communications, train data and physical evidence.
The collision was Spain’s second major deadly high-speed rail disaster of 2026. In January, two trains crashed near Adamuz in Córdoba province, killing dozens. Wednesday’s accident renewed scrutiny of safety on Spain’s extensive high-speed network, although authorities had not established that the two crashes were connected or shared a common cause.
Emergency officials continued searching the wreckage Wednesday while rail traffic on the affected Madrid-Andalusia corridor remained suspended. Authorities were also working to identify victims, notify families and account for passengers. Investigators had not announced a final cause, and officials said further casualty and operational updates were expected as the response continued.
Author note: Last updated October 28, 2026.