At Least 46 Dead As Two High-Speed Trains Collide in Spain

At least 46 people were killed and dozens injured when two high-speed passenger trains collided near Urda in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday morning, according to Civil Protection.

The crash involved a Renfe AVE and an Iryo train on the Madrid-Seville route.

Rail infrastructure manager Adif described the incident as a rear-end collision and suspended high-speed traffic between Madrid and Andalusia.

“Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains,” Adif said in a message posted on X.

Passenger Cars Derail

Initial accounts indicated that the Renfe train struck the Iryo service from behind. Two Iryo cars derailed, according to a Castilla-La Mancha government spokesperson.

Efe reported that two passenger cars fell down an embankment. The full extent of the damage remained unclear.

Renfe confirmed that its Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Seville Santa Justa service, scheduled to depart at 8 a.m., was involved.

Emergency Response Expands

Firefighters from Alcázar de San Juan and Orgaz joined Civil Protection teams from surrounding municipalities at the scene.

Three medical helicopters and two mobile intensive care units were deployed.

Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda, said emergency services had asked him to prepare a sports hall to receive injured passengers.

The Castilla-La Mancha government raised its territorial emergency plan, known as Platecam, to level 2.

Regional president Emiliano García-Page also requested assistance from the Military Emergencies Unit.

Cause Remains Unclear

The circumstances leading to the collision had not been established.

Initial accounts differed on the trains’ movements before impact, leaving key questions about the sequence of events unresolved.

The crash follows an earlier collision involving Iryo and Renfe trains at Adamuz in Córdoba, which also killed 46 people.