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.

The European Parliament has taken another step towards revising the European Union’s 2035 vehicle-emissions framework, after lawmakers from three major political groups agreed amendments offering manufacturers greater flexibility in meeting carbon dioxide reduction targets.

The compromise, approved on 22 October by Parliament’s Transport and Industry committees, proposes an 87.5 per cent reduction in average emissions from new passenger cars by 2035, compared with the 2021 baseline. This is less stringent than the European Commission’s proposed 90 per cent reduction and represents a further departure from the existing 100 per cent reduction in tailpipe emissions for new cars and vans.

The changes have not become law. They remain subject to parliamentary procedures and negotiations with EU governments. Nevertheless, the committee agreement shows how concerns over manufacturing competitiveness, production costs and technological choices are reshaping European climate legislation.

A fundamental revision of the 2035 framework

The original 2035 target, adopted in 2023 as part of the EU’s Fit for 55 legislation, required manufacturers to achieve a 100 per cent reduction in average tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions from new cars and vans. It effectively directed the market towards battery-electric and other zero-emission vehicles.

Manufacturers have argued that the transition is taking place under difficult commercial conditions. Competition from Chinese producers, costs of developing new platforms and batteries, and uncertainty over charging infrastructure contributed to demands for regulatory flexibility.

In December 2025, the European Commission responded with an automotive package proposing a 90 per cent reduction requirement by 2035. It would permit manufacturers to compensate for some remaining emissions using mechanisms involving low-carbon steel produced in the EU and qualifying renewable fuels.

The latest parliamentary compromise would lower the target further, to 87.5 per cent, while allowing low-carbon steel credits to count towards compliance. For light commercial vehicles, lawmakers also proposed reducing the 2035 target to 80 per cent and the 2030 target to 35 per cent.

Why low-carbon steel matters

A notable feature of the compromise is the connection between car-emissions rules and European steelmaking. Steel production is a major industrial source of carbon dioxide, and companies face investment requirements to replace conventional production processes with lower-emission alternatives.

Regulatory credits for carmakers using qualifying European low-carbon steel could create demand for cleaner industrial materials and encourage domestic investment. But emissions avoided during production are not equivalent to reductions in exhaust emissions. The accounting mechanism therefore creates a distinction between cutting tailpipe output and compensating for some remaining emissions through materials and manufacturing.

The compromise also connects vehicle rules with a broader industrial-policy debate about European-made products. As EU Today previously reported, vehicle decarbonisation has increasingly become part of the discussion about European industrial competitiveness.

Electric vehicle sales continue to increase

The debate comes despite growth in electric vehicle registrations. According to figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, battery-electric cars represented 22.7 per cent of new EU passenger car registrations in the first nine months of 2026, against 16.1 per cent during the same period of 2025.

Approximately 1.93 million battery-electric cars were registered between January and September, with considerable growth in Germany and France. Hybrid-electric vehicles nevertheless remained the largest single powertrain category at 36.3 per cent, while petrol and diesel together represented 28.2 per cent, down from 36.9 per cent a year earlier.

The figures show that electrification is progressing, but combustion engines still account for a substantial share of sales. Manufacturers must make investment decisions across several technologies while anticipating changing legislation.

Disagreements over industrial strategy

The parliamentary compromise follows discussions between France and Germany about the relationship between car-emissions rules and measures favouring European production. Paris has emphasised domestic industrial capacity; Berlin has pressed for greater technological flexibility.

Supporters of looser standards argue that manufacturers need time to adjust investment and respond to consumer demand. Critics warn that weakening the target could delay investments in electric vehicles, batteries and charging networks by making future demand less certain.

The eventual legislation will determine not only which vehicles may be sold after 2035, but also how the EU balances emissions reduction, international competition and the position of its manufacturing industry.