The collision occurred shortly before 9am local time near Urda, in the province of Toledo, on the high-speed railway corridor connecting Madrid with southern Spain. The crash involved a train operated by state-owned rail company Renfe and another operated by private company Iryo.
According to Reuters, the collision led to the suspension of rail services on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line.
How the Two Trains Collided
The Renfe high-speed AVE train, travelling from Madrid towards Seville, struck an Iryo train that had stopped on the track. The impact caused several carriages to derail, with some falling down an embankment.
According to regional authorities, 397 passengers were travelling on the Renfe train, while the Iryo train was carrying 147 passengers, bringing the total number of people aboard the two trains to 544.
The precise cause of the collision has not yet been officially established. Initial reports have raised questions about the railway signalling system and the circumstances that led to the Renfe train striking the stationary Iryo service.
Passengers Describe the Impact
Passengers described a powerful impact that left people injured and carriages severely damaged.
Miguel, who was travelling with colleagues in a rear carriage of one of the trains, said he heard a loud noise that continued for around 10 seconds. Looking through the window, he saw a badly damaged train.
Eduarda, a passenger aboard the Iryo train, said the impact threw her forward. She initially thought the train had applied its emergency brakes but realised the severity of the accident after seeing injured passengers and being instructed to evacuate.
She said she reached a safer location down an embankment, where she saw one carriage hanging over the slope and another on fire. According to her account, helicopters, police officers and ambulances arrived within around 20 minutes.
The mayor of nearby Los Yébenes, Jesús Pérez Martín, described the situation as horrific and said he had received reports of severe injuries.
Rescue Operations and Emergency Response
Emergency teams launched operations to free passengers trapped inside damaged carriages and provide medical treatment to the injured. Those requiring treatment were transferred to hospitals in the region, while passengers who escaped unharmed were evacuated by bus.
Firefighters, police, ambulance crews, medical helicopters and Spain's Military Emergency Unit took part in the response.
Spain's Health Minister Mónica García appealed on X for people to donate blood to help treat the injured.
Renfe activated its emergency response and family assistance procedures and established a helpline for relatives seeking information about those affected. Iryo also said it had activated its emergency protocols and was cooperating with the authorities.
Local officials prepared emergency facilities, including a sports hall, to accommodate injured passengers and people affected by the crash.
Rail Services Suspended, Prime Minister Cancels Engagements
Following the collision, rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended. The disruption affected the high-speed corridor connecting the Spanish capital with the country's southern region.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his scheduled engagements following the accident and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families on X.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also conveyed their condolences and expressed solidarity with the injured and the families of those killed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered her condolences to the bereaved families.
Spain's football federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey matches scheduled for Wednesday. The opposition People's Party also cancelled its campaign activities following the disaster.
Second Major Rail Disaster in Spain This Year
The collision has renewed concerns about railway safety in Spain, following another deadly high-speed train accident in January 2026.
That crash occurred near Adamuz, in the southern province of Córdoba, when an Iryo train derailed and collided with an approaching Renfe train. The January accident killed 46 people and prompted debate over railway infrastructure, maintenance and investment.
The latest collision has brought those concerns back into focus, although investigators have yet to establish the cause of Wednesday's crash.
According to Spain's railway safety authority, the number of railway accidents, including collisions and derailments, increased from 45 in 2016 to 57 in 2024 and 69 in 2025.
However, the available figures do not establish a direct link between reported track problems and the latest collision.
Questions Over Railway Investment and Maintenance
Spain has invested heavily in its high-speed railway network over several decades. The country has approximately 4,000 kilometres of high-speed railway lines, making it one of the world's largest networks of its kind.
European Commission figures cited in reports indicate that Spain spent an annual average of around €1.5 billion on its high-speed rail network between 2018 and 2022. A relatively small proportion of that spending, around 16 per cent, was allocated to track maintenance, renewal and improvements, while much of the investment went towards building new infrastructure.
Despite its extensive network, Spain's maintenance spending has been lower than that of some major European countries, according to the cited figures. At the same time, the country historically recorded one of the European Union's lowest rates of railway accident fatalities.
More than 90 per cent of Spain's railway network is equipped with advanced safety control systems, according to the European Union Agency for Railways data cited in the report.
Spain opened its passenger rail market to private operators alongside Renfe in recent years. Italian-owned Iryo began operating in the country in 2022.
Jon Rodríguez, a spokesperson for Spain's railway workers' union, told public broadcaster TVE that the arrival of private operators had increased train traffic on the network and placed additional pressure on infrastructure. He did not identify the increased traffic as the definitive cause of the latest accident.
The investigation into Wednesday's collision remains ongoing, and authorities have yet to confirm the precise cause.
Editorial note: The death toll of 64 is supported by Reuters reporting published on October 28, 2026. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
