Two high-speed trains collide near Urda, Toledo, killing at least 64 people

The collision

On Wednesday, 28 October, an AVE train operated by Renfe ran into an Iryo train that had stopped on the same track near Urda and Los Yébenes in Toledo province. El Periódico places the crash at 8.54 am, at kilometre point 118 of the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line. The Iryo had halted after a safety system failure forced all trains in the area to stop, and the other trains resumed their journeys while it stayed where it was. According to El Periódico, the AVE was travelling at more than 100 km/h when it hit the stationary train from behind. The impact derailed three carriages of the Iryo, which fell down a side embankment, while the AVE's locomotive and one carriage were thrown onto a field. Sources also disagree on the Iryo's service number, which is given as 6076 in one report and 6070 in another.

Death toll and injuries

The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha put the death toll at 64 at 2 pm, and its president, Emiliano García-Page, gave the same figure. Injury counts differ by source: El Confidencial reports 80 injured, 50 of them seriously, while El Periódico reports 58 people hospitalised, 15 of them in a very serious condition. Authorities warned that the toll could rise as rescue work continues. Article 0 notes that this is the second most serious rail accident since 2013, when an Alvia derailed at Angrois near Santiago de Compostela, killing 80 people and injuring 145.

Cause under investigation

The government's first account blames human error after a fault disabled the LZB signalling system, according to El Confidencial. Judicial police from the Guardia Civil have begun work at the site and have already questioned an operator at the control centre in Madrid that manages traffic in the area, according to investigation sources. El Periódico reports that this stretch was partway through replacing its original LZB system with the European ERTMS, and that Adif had started testing the new equipment some weeks earlier. The same line was the scene of the Adamuz accident on 18 January 2026, which killed 46 people, although the two sections lie about 200 kilometres apart along the track.

Passenger accounts

Actor Manuel Bandera, who was travelling to Seville, sat in the rear carriage, which he believes was decisive for his survival. He told Canal Sur that the train braked sharply before it began to derail, and that he left through a window and helped another passenger during the evacuation.

“I feel like I have been born again.”

Speaking to Onda Cero, he said he had only a small bruise on his ribs but was completely in shock.

“If it had gone the other way, I could not be talking to you.”

Presenter Nacho Abad broke down on air during En boca de todos on Cuatro after hours of testimony from survivors and relatives. An architect who was in the fifth carriage of the AVE described the impact while he was in the toilet, and Abad asked him to rest and continue the conversation the next day.

Schedules and events

TVE cancelled La Revuelta and El Túnel: Avanza y Gana on La 1 and filled the slots with special news programming, while Antena 3 suspended El Hormiguero and laSexta cancelled Zapeando and El Intermedio. Renfe and Iryo both opened family assistance lines, on 900 10 10 20 and 900 001 403 respectively. The organisers of Naturaleza Encendida cancelled the opening of the Carmen show planned for Thursday, 29 October, in the gardens of the Real Alcázar in Seville, and said they would report in the coming days on a possible rescheduling.