There is shock, anger and mourning in Spain after the second fatal train crash this year. At least 68 people have died in what is now the deadliest collision there in more than a decade. William Brangham reports.

At least 68 people were killed in the country's second deadly rail collision this year.

On Wednesday, Spanish media reported that at least 50 people were killed and 179 others injured in a collision between two high-speed trains on the railway line linking Madrid with the southern region of Andalusia.

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The accident occurred at around 8:54 a.m. local time near Urda station in the province of Toledo, about 120 km south of Madrid. The collision involved a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe and another operated by private company Iryo.

Preliminary reports suggested that the Renfe train struck the rear of the Iryo train, which had reportedly been stationary on the tracks. Two carriages derailed and plunged down an embankment.

The Chinese Embassy in Spain has confirmed that four Chinese nationals were aboard the trains involved in the collision, with at least one sustaining minor injury.

💥🇪🇸 IMPACTANTE | Nueva tragedia de trenes de Alta Velocidad enluta a España con cerca de 46 fallecidos y más de 179 heridos: Un AVE de Renfe ha embestido a más de 100 km/h, a un tren de Iryo detenido en Urda (Toledo), sin que se activaran los sistemas de emergencia.

La causa… pic.twitter.com/2fkZrY4cdE

— 📢Rebelión en la Granja🚨 (@elorwelliano) October 28, 2026

The text reads, “Shocking | A new high-speed rail tragedy has plunged Spain into mourning, leaving approximately 46 dead and more than 179 injured. A Renfe AVE train, traveling at over 100 km/h, collided with a stationary Iryo train in Urda (Toledo) after emergency systems failed to activate. Preliminary findings indicate that the LZB signaling system malfunctioned 24 minutes earlier, forcing the trains into a “degraded mode” (requiring operation by sight). As is often the case, the Socialist government has pointed to human error at the Atocha control center. This marks the second fatal high-speed rail accident this year; the previous one occurred in Adamuz.”

Spanish railway infrastructure operator Adif confirmed that the accident prompted the suspension of rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.

Political parties across Spain cancelled scheduled activities on Wednesday, while officials expressed their condolences and support for those affected.

“Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on social media, adding that emergency services are on the ground to assist those impacted.

The collision came just nine months after another major railway accident near Adamuz, in the southern province of Cordoba, which killed 46 people.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

At least 68 people have been reported dead after two high-speed passenger trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday, 28 October, in the country’s second major railway disaster this year.

The collision occurred near Urda, in the province of Toledo, when a Renfe AVE service struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line.

The regional emergency service was cited by La Voz de Galicia as reporting at least 46 deaths by late Wednesday morning, following earlier figures of ten and 39. Rescue operations were continuing, and the casualty total remained provisional.

There were 544 passengers aboard the two services, according to the regional government: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo service, including a baby.

At least two carriages left the tracks and fell down an embankment. The accident has disrupted one of Spain’s principal railway corridors, connecting Madrid with Seville, Córdoba and Málaga.

Collision on Spain’s main southern railway corridor

The accident occurred at approximately 8.54am local time on 28 October, near Urda, between Los Yébenes and other stations in Toledo province. Railway infrastructure manager Adif located the collision around kilometre point 118 of the high-speed route.

According to Cadena SER, the Renfe train had departed Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha station at 8am and was due to reach Seville at 10.39am.

It subsequently collided with an Iryo service that was stationary on the same line. Investigators have yet to determine why that train had stopped and why the following service was able to approach it.

Adif confirmed the interruption of high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia. Renfe announced free ticket changes and cancellations for passengers affected by the closure.

Emergency services respond

Firefighters, medical teams, Civil Protection volunteers and the Guardia Civil were dispatched to the scene. Three medical helicopters and mobile intensive-care resources were among the emergency services mobilised.

The Castilla-La Mancha government activated its regional emergency plan, PLATECAM, at 9.15am. An advanced medical post was established to assess casualties, provide initial treatment and organise hospital transfers.

Hospitals in Toledo and Alcázar de San Juan prepared to receive patients. The authorities also arranged a sports pavilion in Urda as an assistance point for people affected by the collision.

One passenger’s daughter told Cadena SER that her father had felt a violent impact aboard the Renfe service, losing his glasses and mobile telephone. She said some passengers around him appeared unharmed while others were bleeding.

Health Minister Mónica García described the accident as very serious and said the government was coordinating medical assistance with the affected regions. Transport Minister Óscar Puente cancelled scheduled engagements to follow developments.

Investigators examine possible signalling failure

The cause of the collision remains under investigation. Early reports have raised questions about a possible signalling-system failure and the decisions taken while trains were being controlled under alternative procedures.

Catalan broadcaster 3Cat reported, citing government sources, that investigators were examining whether an interruption in the train-control system had forced operations into a manual mode and whether an error at the control centre contributed to the accident.

Cadena SER also reported that a Renfe service may have been authorised to proceed despite a stop signal. These are preliminary accounts, not established findings, and officials have not announced a final determination of responsibility.

Second major railway disaster in nine months

Wednesday’s collision follows another fatal high-speed railway accident near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, on 18 January 2026, when an Iryo train derailed and collided with an approaching Renfe service. The death toll from that disaster ultimately reached 46, according to RTVE.

The two accidents occurred on the broad Madrid–Andalusia corridor and involved the same operators, although the circumstances differed. The January crash prompted questions about infrastructure maintenance and railway safety.

Spain also experienced a major railway disaster in July 2013, when an Alvia train derailed near Santiago de Compostela, killing 80 people.

Investigators will now need to establish why the Iryo train stopped, how the Renfe service was permitted to approach it and whether the signalling and traffic-control systems functioned as intended. Rescue efforts, medical care and the identification of victims remain immediate priorities.