Spain train collision near Toledo kills at least 68 as probe focuses on red-signal breach

At least 68 people were killed on Wednesday, 28 October, when one high-speed passenger train slammed into the back of another on the Madrid–Andalusia line in central Spain, according to the head of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government. Officials have warned that the number could still rise as rescuers work through the wreckage carriage by carriage.

The collision took place near the town of Urda in Toledo province, roughly 150 km south of Madrid, on Wednesday morning. ABC News (US) put the time at about 8:30 am local time, while Reuters said the trains crashed shortly after 9 am, which is roughly 1 pm to 1:30 pm IST. It is the deadliest high-speed rail accident in Spain since 80 people died in the 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela in Galicia.

What happened on the line

Both trains were heading south from Madrid towards Seville, ABC News reported. A regional spokesperson, Esther Padilla, said 147 people were aboard the private operator Iryo’s train and 397 aboard the train run by state operator Renfe. ABC News gave the Iryo figure as 146, including an infant.

According to officials, the Iryo train had come to a halt when the Renfe train struck it from behind. Two Iryo carriages were thrown off the track, and several coaches tumbled down an embankment, ABC Australia reported. Regional president Emiliano García-Page said 24 of those killed were travelling on the Renfe train and the others on the Iryo service, as quoted by ABC News.

ABC News said at least 15 people were seriously hurt and more than 50 others were admitted to hospitals with less serious injuries. Health Minister Mónica García appealed to the public to donate blood, Reuters reported.

Signal failure under scrutiny

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the Renfe train had been allowed to move on despite an active red signal, which had been triggered by a failure in computer communications, Reuters reported. Restarting the train in that situation went against protocol, the minister said. A person briefed on the incident told Reuters that the Iryo train had been halted on the orders of infrastructure manager Adif because of a signalling fault.

Renfe, for its part, said its train had been cleared to continue and that the Iryo train had stopped for reasons the company did not know. “The Renfe train continued on its way as instructed, and a collision occurred,” the operator said in a statement carried by Reuters. García-Page said an independent rail accident investigation commission would establish the cause and promised that any negligence would be exposed.

A survivor, Miguel Ángel Pérez, told ABC News that the Renfe train had first stopped, with staff citing a problem on the track, before it started moving again shortly before the impact.

Rescue and reactions

Rescue teams, assisted by sniffer dogs, were concentrating on the two worst-hit carriages. Civil protection officials asked the Urda town hall to open a sports hall to receive passengers, CBS News reported. Adif suspended all traffic on the corridor between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia, and Iryo cancelled its southbound departures from Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha station.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that he was shocked and offered support to the victims’ families as he travelled to the scene, Reuters reported. The opposition People’s Party called off all its campaign events ahead of Spain’s general election on 29 November. Renfe opened a dedicated helpline for relatives.

The disaster is the second major crash on the same line this year involving the same two operators. In January, a collision near Adamuz in Córdoba province killed 46 people, according to ABC News and Reuters. García-Page said the two accidents did not appear to be linked.

The US State Department said several American citizens were among the injured, ABC News reported. None of the reports reviewed by The Daily Rostrum mentioned Indian nationals among the casualties, and none referred to any advisory from Indian authorities.

Sources

• ABC News: ‘Inexplicable’ order probed as cause of train crash that killed at least 68: Official
• The Korea Times (Reuters): At least 68 dead in Spain’s second major train crash this year
• ABC News (Australia): Spanish high-speed trains crash, killing at least 68
• CBS News: High-speed train crash in Spain leaves at least 68 dead, dozens injured, officials say