On Wednesday, 28 October, in the morning, near Urda in Toledo province, an AVE train operated by Renfe struck the rear of an Iryo train; two carriages derailed. The death toll is not final, and early hypotheses point to human error during a failure of the signalling system.
According to the infrastructure manager Adif, the accident occurred on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line, between Los Yébenes and Urda. According to accounts cited by, among others, CBS News, the AVE ran into a train standing on the track. Spanish media reports indicate that the trains involved were AVE 2080 from Madrid to Seville and Iryo 6076, and that the last two Iryo carriages derailed on the track. Traffic between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia has been suspended.
Possible cause: signalling fault and human error
According to the daily ABC, a worker repairing a fault in the signalling system probably failed to warn one of the trains that the other was approaching. Public reported a similar hypothesis, citing sources at the Ministry of Transport: the government is considering „human error”. Spanish media reports indicate that at the time of the accident, due to a failure of the automatic LZB system, traffic was running in a backup mode with side signal blocking.
These are so far only preliminary assumptions, attributed to anonymous government sources and media. No official cause has been announced, and the investigation has only just begun. Meteorologists at Meteored ruled out the influence of weather.
How many people died
The toll changed over the course of the morning. The Castile-La Mancha regional government told the AFP agency that 30 people had died, while sources in the local emergency services cited by Spanish media spoke of at least 39. Some media reported 46 victims, but the regional government delegate said the emergency number 112 had not received such a figure. According to Protección Civil, cited by Spanish media, at least 179 people were injured. Authorities warn that the number of dead may rise. No official final toll has been given as of publication.
The region activated its PLATECAM emergency plan. Firefighters, rescue workers and the Guardia Civil with its GREIM unit are working at the scene, and some of the injured were flown by helicopter to hospitals in Madrid. Transport Minister Óscar Puente is following the situation from the Adif control centre in Atocha.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X that he is „consternado” (shocked) and remains in constant contact with the minister and the regional head.
Another tragedy this year
This is the second such serious accident on Spain’s high-speed rail network in 2026. On Sunday, 18 January, two trains collided near Adamuz in Córdoba province; according to Reuters, at least 40 people died then. The Urda disaster has also drawn sharp criticism of Minister Puente from some engineers and commentators; whether it is justified will only be determined by the investigation.
What it means
For travellers in Spain: traffic is interrupted on the Madrid–Andalusia routes, including to Seville, Córdoba and Málaga. Renfe has announced free changes and cancellations of tickets. When planning a journey, check the status of connections with Renfe, Iryo and Adif. As of publication, no information has been given about Polish citizens affected.
