At least 68 people have been killed and around 80 injured after two high-speed passenger trains collided near Urda in Spain’s central province of Toledo, in one of the country’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade.
The accident occurred on the morning of October 28, when a high-speed train operated by Spain’s state-owned Renfe struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks. The collision derailed carriages, with some tumbling down an embankment, leaving severely damaged train cars and debris scattered across the accident site. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as emergency crews continued searching for victims.
The two trains were carrying a combined total of approximately 544 passengers. The Renfe service had 397 people on board, while the Iryo train was carrying 147, according to regional authorities. Dozens of people were injured, and rescue workers, medical teams and emergency personnel were deployed to assist survivors and recover victims.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a failure in the train safety system was among the factors being examined following the collision. Authorities are investigating how the Renfe service was cleared to continue its journey and the circumstances that led to it striking the stationary Iryo train. The precise sequence of events and any contributing technical or operational failures remain under investigation.
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of Spain’s railway safety arrangements, particularly as the country is still dealing with the aftermath of another deadly high-speed rail collision near Adamuz in January 2026. That accident killed 46 people when a derailed Iryo train collided with an oncoming Renfe service.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his scheduled engagements following the latest crash, while King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences to the victims’ families and support for those injured and the emergency personnel responding to the disaster.
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