At least 30 people died and dozens more sustained injuries on Wednesday when two high-speed passenger trains collided on a major rail line linking Madrid to the southern region of Andalucia, according to regional authorities in Castilla-La Mancha. The disaster, which occurred shortly after 09:00 local time (08:00 GMT), marks the second fatal high-speed rail accident on the same corridor in less than a year, following a deadly collision near Adamuz in Cordoue province that killed 46 people on January 18.
Collision in Toledo Province Derails Carriages
The crash took place on a flat stretch of track surrounded by olive groves between the municipalities of Urda and Los Yébenes in the province of Toledo, as reported by Le Quotidien. An AVE high-speed train operated by the state-run railway company Renfe collided with an Iryo service—a private operator majority-owned by Italy’s Trenitalia—while both were traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, stated that the Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers and the Iryo train carried 147 people, bringing the total number of occupants to 544. Selon les déclarations de passagers rapportées, le train de la RENFE s’est arrêté brièvement sur la voie avant de redémarrer et de percuter le train de l’IRYO. The impact caused multiple carriages to derail, leaving twisted metal, shattered panels, and debris strewn across a gravel embankment beneath an elevated section of track.
Rescue Teams Treat 80 Injured in Rail Crash
Regional health and rescue teams rushed to the site with ambulances and medical helicopters, while a military emergency brigade deployed to assist firefighters and police officers. Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page reported that at least 80 people were injured in the crash. Mónica García warned that the death toll could rise further, noting that emergency crews focused intensely on searching the two heavily damaged carriages for survivors and victims.
Survivors requiring urgent medical attention were transported to various regional hospitals. Meanwhile, local authorities in nearby Urda established temporary reception centers, including a municipal gymnasium organized by Manuel Galán, to house uninjured passengers and coordinate support services. Mark Carney confirmed on Wednesday morning that two Canadian citizens were among those injured in the collision.
Political Leaders React as Partido Popular Suspends Campaign
Pedro Sánchez cancelled his official agenda, posted on X that he was “appalled” by the severe rail accident in Toledo, and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia issued a joint statement offering their condolences.
In response to the disaster, the opposition Partido Popular announced an immediate suspension of its campaign activities ahead of the upcoming national snap elections scheduled for November 29. The state railway infrastructure manager, ADIF, suspended all high-speed rail traffic between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalucia while investigators work to determine the exact technical cause of the collision.
Passenger Testimonies and On-Site Impacts
Tout a été projeté en l’air lorsque les trains sont entrés en collision,
declared a passenger.
Ignacio Relaño, a passenger aboard the RENFE train, described the sudden onset of the disaster: Nous avons tous senti le train ralentir brusquement, puis l’impact,
before adding: La voiture s’est inclinée d’un côté comme si elle allait se renverser. Je me suis cogné le nez, tout s’est mis à voler dans tous les sens : bagages, téléphones portables. Tout tremblait.
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