At least 68 people were killed and 179 injured when two high-speed trains collided in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday, according to the Castilla-La Mancha regional government. Spanish government sources said human error was suspected, though authorities were investigating the exact circumstances of the crash.
The accident occurred at around 9 am local time in Urda, on the high-speed railway connecting Madrid and Andalusia. A Renfe train carrying 397 passengers struck a stationary Iryo train carrying 147 passengers and a baby. The impact derailed two carriages of the Iryo service, sending them down an embankment, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported.
The death toll could rise as rescue workers continued searching the wreckage of the derailed carriages. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced three days of national mourning following the accident.
Initial reports suggested that human error may have contributed to the collision. Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing central government sources, reported that investigators were examining whether an operator at Adif’s control centre at Madrid’s Atocha station had made a mistake.
According to the newspaper, the main LZB signalling and safety system had malfunctioned, forcing railway staff to manage train movements through an alternative arrangement. The disruption brought around eight trains in the area to a standstill on Wednesday morning.
When railway services were permitted to resume, the Iryo train was still stationary on the tracks. An Adif operator is suspected of mistakenly authorising the Renfe train travelling behind it to proceed, leading to the rear-end collision.
Investigators are still trying to establish the precise sequence of events, including why the Iryo train could not move and how the Renfe service received clearance to continue. Adif said it was reviewing its systems and reconstructing the events preceding the crash.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a computer communications failure had automatically stopped rail traffic. He explained that an incorrect decision was subsequently made to restart the Renfe high-speed train despite a red signal, in violation of protocol. The train continued forward until it struck the stationary service ahead.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, confirmed that 147 people, including a baby, were aboard the Iryo train, while 397 passengers were travelling on the Renfe service. Hospitals in Toledo, Alcazar de San Juan and Ciudad Real were mobilised to treat the injured.
The crash was Spain’s second deadly railway accident this year and Europe’s deadliest since 2013, when a train crash in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, claimed 80 lives.
The collision prompted a large-scale rescue operation involving firefighters, Civil Guard personnel, medical teams and emergency helicopters. Regional authorities said all injured passengers had been evacuated, while rescue teams continued recovering bodies from the wreckage.
Train services along the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed corridor were suspended following the accident, disrupting more than 100 services, El Pais reported. Adif confirmed that the suspension followed a rear-end collision between the two trains.
Images shared on social media showed severely damaged carriages lying on their sides in a ditch, with debris scattered across the crash site.
Footage aired by Castilla-La Mancha Television also showed at least one carriage stranded on an elevated stretch of track, while twisted metal and broken panels lay across the embankment below.
Renfe and Iryo said they had activated their emergency response and victim-assistance procedures. Renfe stated that its immediate priority was helping those affected and their families, while Iryo said it was coordinating with authorities to manage the aftermath.
Emergency personnel rushed to the site. Manuel Galan, mayor of nearby Urda, told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that local authorities had been asked to prepare emergency facilities, including a sports hall, to accommodate passengers and injured people.
Prime Minister Sanchez expressed shock over the tragedy and said he was in contact with the transport minister and the regional government to monitor developments. He offered his affection, solidarity and support to the victims and their families.
Sanchez cancelled his scheduled engagements for Wednesday, while Spain’s opposition People’s Party called off all its campaign events following the accident, a spokesperson said.
The collision occurred just nine months after another fatal high-speed train accident on the same railway line. In January, 46 people died near Adamuz in Cordoba province when an Iryo train derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe service. That disaster sparked debate over recent investment in railway infrastructure and maintenance.
The latest crash also came a month after Sanchez called a snap election for November 29, following the failure of two proposed decrees addressing the housing crisis to pass through parliament amid nationwide protests over the issue.
