Toledo Train Collision Kills 30, Suspend Madrid-Andalusia Service
A high-speed RENFE train struck a stopped IRYO service on Wednesday, derailing two cars and prompting a regional emergency response.
By Bianca Shevchenko ·
The death toll from a high-speed rail collision in the province of Toledo rose to at least 30 on Wednesday. Spanish state media reported the updated figure after authorities initially confirmed 10 fatalities. Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, stated that the initial count was expected to increase as rescue efforts continued.
The crash occurred in the morning between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes. A RENFE train traveling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of an IRYO train that had come to a stop. The impact derailed two cars of the IRYO service. One car was shredded into metal fragments, with debris scattered down a gravel slope in a flat, field-surrounded area. Rail operator ADIF suspended service between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia following the incident.
Padilla told state broadcaster TVE that the two trains were moving in the same direction and carried hundreds of passengers. She said the cause of the crash remained unknown. Health Minister Mónica García indicated that emergency workers were prioritizing the removal of survivors and bodies from the two most damaged cars. Injured passengers are being transported to various hospitals in the region. García described the event as a tragedy due to the high-speed nature of the impact.
Spanish media reported that the RENFE train appeared to ram the IRYO service. The RENFE train carried 397 passengers, while the IRYO train carried 147. IRYO, an Italian-owned private rail company, said it activated security protocols and was coordinating with authorities. Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda, said civil protection officials asked his town hall to prepare a local sports pavilion for injured passengers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his schedule to focus on the crash. He posted on X that he was dismayed by the accident and that emergency services were attending to affected passengers. Regional President Emiliano García-Page stated he was en route to the crash site. A military emergency brigade joined firefighters and police at the scene.
This is the second major train accident in Spain this year. In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the tracks and collided with an oncoming service. That incident was the deadliest in the country since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people. Both accidents involved trains from RENFE and IRYO.
