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News · SpainTrain crash in Toledo: at least 68 dead after an AVE slams into a stopped Iryo train
A Renfe AVE crashed into an Iryo train that was stopped near Urda, in Toledo. There were 544 people on board. The transport minister blames a wrong decision by the control center.
Translated from the original Spanish article. Read in Spanish
News published on October 28, 2026. The situation may have changed since then.
Spain is living through its worst train crash in decades. On Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at around 8:54 a.m., two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in the province of Toledo.
What happened
An Iryo train was stopped on the track at a stop signal, at kilometer 118 of the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line, between Los Yébenes and Urda. A Renfe AVE coming down the same track hit it from behind.
Several carriages derailed and some fell down an embankment. The most striking part: it was a straight section of track with good visibility.
There were 544 people on the two trains: 397 on the Renfe AVE and 147 on the Iryo train.
The victims
According to the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, at least 68 people have died: 44 on the Iryo train and 24 on the AVE. More than 100 injured people remain in hospitals in the region, around fifteen of them in serious condition.
Authorities warn that the toll could rise. Some passengers are still missing.
Why did they collide?
The investigation has only just begun, but Transport Minister Óscar Puente has already given a first explanation: a "wrong decision" by the Atocha control center, in Madrid, allowed the AVE to keep going through a red signal, while the section was occupied by the Iryo train.
The commission that investigates rail accidents is urging caution: it says it is "too early" to give a final cause. A judge in Orgaz (Toledo) has already opened proceedings.
The state of the line
Adif has suspended all high-speed trains between Madrid and Andalusia in both directions. If you had a trip on that line, check with your operator before going to the station.
There are helplines for passengers' families: Renfe 900 10 10 20 and Iryo 900 001 403.
Not the first one this year
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was "shocked", and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote that "Europe mourns".
The crash comes nine months after the Adamuz accident (Córdoba) in January, when two other high-speed trains collided and 46 people died. That is why the train drivers' union SEMAF is keeping the strike called for this Thursday, demanding more safety on the tracks.
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Sources (in Spanish)
- Hora, lugar, pasajeros y víctimas: Infobae España, con datos del Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha (28 de octubre de 2026).
- Reacciones, suspensión de la línea y accidente de Adamuz: Euronews.
- Cobertura en directo: CNN en Español.
- Otros accidentes de tren de 2026 en España: TV Azteca.
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses; the author and license are shown under each image.
