The Renfe train struck a stopped Iryo service near Urda after a rail safety system failed, Spain’s transport minister said.
URDA, Spain — At least 68 people were killed Wednesday when one high-speed passenger train slammed into the rear of another that had stopped on the tracks in central Spain, leaving dozens hospitalized and triggering a major rescue operation in Toledo province.
The collision involved a train operated by state-owned Renfe and another operated by private rail company Iryo. Both were traveling from Madrid toward Seville when the Renfe train struck the stationary Iryo service near Urda. The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha confirmed the death toll had reached at least 68, according to The Associated Press, while 58 people required hospital treatment. Rescue crews continued searching damaged rail cars for additional victims.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a security system covering a 63-kilometer, or 39-mile, section of track stopped working at about 8:30 a.m., automatically bringing trains in the area to a halt. He said the Renfe train was later authorized by a central command center to resume its journey even though the Iryo train remained stopped ahead. The collision occurred at about 8:53 a.m.
Puente described the decision allowing the Renfe train to proceed as inexplicable and said the train should not have been allowed to move while a stop signal remained active. He said investigators were still determining the train’s speed at the time of impact. Authorities have not announced a final finding on responsibility, and the circumstances surrounding the authorization remain under investigation.
Spain’s rail infrastructure operator, Adif, said the collision occurred at kilometer marker 118 on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line between Mora, Orgaz and Urda. Rail traffic on the route was suspended, leaving trains stopped at stations along the corridor. Adif established assistance points for affected passengers and families at major stations including Madrid, Seville, Córdoba and Málaga.
Officials said 397 passengers were aboard the Renfe train and 147 were on the Iryo service, putting more than 500 people aboard the two trains. The force of the collision derailed several cars, with some leaving the elevated track area and ending up down an embankment. Emergency teams worked through the wreckage while injured passengers were taken to hospitals across the region.
The Castilla-La Mancha government activated its regional emergency plan and raised the response to a higher operational level as the scale of the disaster became clear. The Military Emergency Unit joined firefighters, police, Civil Guard officers, medical crews and civil protection volunteers at the site. A sports pavilion in Urda was opened to receive passengers and others affected by the crash.
The accident was Spain’s second deadly high-speed rail disaster of 2026. In January, 46 people were killed when an Iryo train derailed near Adamuz in Córdoba province and struck an oncoming Renfe train. That collision had already intensified scrutiny of Spain’s extensive high-speed rail network, one of the largest in the world.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his public agenda as the government responded to Wednesday’s disaster. King Felipe VI visited the crash area, while Spanish officials and European leaders expressed condolences to the victims’ families. Spain’s soccer federation also postponed all 24 Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Wednesday.
The investigation into Wednesday’s collision remained active as rescue workers searched the wreckage and rail officials examined the failure of the safety system and the subsequent decision to allow the Renfe train to move. Authorities warned that casualty figures could change as emergency operations continued.
Author note: Last updated October 28, 2026.