Spain: high-speed trains collide near Toledo, at least 64 dead

On the morning of Wednesday 28 October 2026, two high-speed trains collided in the province of Toledo in central Spain. The crash happened near the village of Urda, between Los Yébenes and Urda. Both trains were travelling from Madrid towards Seville.

What we know about the crash

According to a spokesperson for Spain's transport ministry, the collision happened at about 8:53am. A Renfe AVE train hit the rear of an Iryo train that was stationary on the track. The Renfe train carried 397 people, and the Iryo train 147 adults and one infant. In total, there were more than 500 passengers on the two trains (TVN24 gives 544).

Emergency services said two carriages left the rails and fell down an embankment. Numerous ambulances and helicopters were sent to the scene. In Urda, a sports hall was prepared to receive casualties.

Death toll

The number of victims rose during the day. Authorities in Castilla-La Mancha first confirmed at least 10 deaths, then 30 were reported, followed by 46. According to Polish media citing the regional authorities and civil defence, at least 64 people died and about 80 were injured. TVN24 later reported 68 dead, citing the Castilla-La Mancha authorities. The figures may still change.

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, wrote that he was "deeply moved" by the accident.

Possible cause

The cause has not been officially established. Transport minister Óscar Puente set out an initial hypothesis. According to it, after a signalling system fault traffic was switched to manual control, and the Renfe train was given permission to proceed despite a blocked track. It reportedly travelled about 25 km before hitting the Iryo train. The minister said the speed at the moment of impact was not yet known. The Spanish daily ABC, citing sources in the ministry, wrote of possible human error. These are preliminary findings and may change after the investigation.

What this means for you

A spokesman for Poland's foreign ministry, Maciej Wewiór, said there was so far no information about Polish casualties. People planning to travel by rail in Spain should follow operators' announcements, as traffic on one of the country's major rail lines has been halted.