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At least 39 killed as two high-speed trains collide in central Spain

Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, killing at least 39 people, according to local authorities, and halting Madrid-Andalusia rail service while rescue teams worked at the scene.

By admin Oct. 28, 2026 · 6:42 AM ET 2 min read

A silver high-speed train traveling through dry farmland in central Spain
A silver high-speed train traveling through dry farmland in central Spain

At least 39 people were killed on Wednesday morning when two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, according to local authorities cited in early reports from the scene.

A silver high-speed train traveling through dry farmland in central Spain
A silver high-speed train traveling through dry farmland in central Spain

The crash happened shortly after 9 a.m. local time between the towns of Los Yebenes and Urda, in Toledo province. Both trains were on the Madrid-Seville route, and rail infrastructure operator Adif said service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended after what it described as a rear-end collision between two trains.

Ambulances and a fire truck parked beside railway tracks in rural Spain
Ambulances and a fire truck parked beside railway tracks in rural Spain

Emergency crews, including firefighters, medical helicopters and mobile intensive care units, were sent to the scene. The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha activated its emergency response plan, and local reports said two carriages left the tracks and fell down an embankment.

What officials have said so far

Preliminary information from the Transport Ministry, reported by the Associated Press, suggested a Renfe AVE train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train. The cause of the crash remained under investigation, and officials had not confirmed a final count of the injured.

A high-speed train stopped at an empty station platform in Spain
A high-speed train stopped at an empty station platform in Spain

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was shocked by the crash and was in constant contact with the transport minister and the president of Castilla-La Mancha. He said emergency services were working at the scene to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the administrations involved.

The death toll rose through the morning. Government sources first told the newspaper El Pais that at least 10 people had been killed, and a regional government spokesperson, Esther Padilla, told the broadcaster TVE that the toll would almost certainly rise. Reports put the number of people on the two trains at more than 500.

A second deadly crash this year

High-speed railway tracks crossing flat dry farmland in central Spain
High-speed railway tracks crossing flat dry farmland in central Spain

The crash comes months after a January rail crash near Adamuz in southern Spain that killed dozens of people. Officials in Toledo said the full scale of Wednesday’s crash was still becoming clear as rescue work continued.

Reporting based on coverage by the Associated Press, El Pais, Classic Hits Radio and Guardian live coverage.

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