Spain Train Crash in Toledo: What We Know So Far

At least 68 people have died after a Renfe high-speed train ran into the back of a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province in central Spain, on the morning of Wednesday 28 October 2026. Renfe’s AVE 2080 (Madrid Atocha 08:00 to Seville) struck Iryo service 6076 (Madrid Atocha 07:54 to Seville), and Transport Minister Óscar Puente put the time of the collision at about 08:53 local time (07:53 GMT). The site is on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line about 70 km from the city of Toledo, not in the city itself. Castilla-La Mancha’s regional president, Emiliano García-Page, gave the toll of at least 68 shortly after 15:40 CET (14:40 GMT), and said in the evening that work to lift the two worst-damaged Iryo carriages would continue overnight. This page is pinned to 19:15 CET (18:15 GMT) on Wednesday 28 October 2026, and casualty figures on it are given with their source and time because they are still changing.

What happened near Urda on Wednesday morning?

A Renfe AVE heading from Madrid to Seville hit the back of an Iryo train that was standing still on the same track, at kilometre point 118 of the Madrid–Seville high-speed line. Both trains had left Madrid Puerta de Atocha for Seville Santa Justa a few minutes apart and were travelling south:

• Iryo 6076 left Atocha at 07:54 and was due in Seville at 10:46.
• Renfe AVE 2080 left Atocha at 08:00 and was due in Seville at 10:39.

Puente placed the impact almost at the entrance to Urda station at about 08:53. Other official accounts give slightly different times: the regional emergency service said 08:54, and Iryo’s statement said 08:48. The location is described in different ways too. The regional government places it in the municipality of Los Yébenes, Adif said it was between Mora, Orgaz and Urda, and the FCDO says between Mora and Orgaz. El País puts the site about 8 km from the village of Urda and about 130 km from Madrid.

The collision derailed carriages on both trains, and several went down the embankments beside the track. The regional emergency service said at 14:18 CET (13:18 GMT) that all the injured had been taken from the site. By early evening the central government said it had deployed 200 troops from Spain’s military emergencies unit (UME), 102 Civil Protection staff and 422 Guardia Civil officers (RTVE, 18:22 CET / 17:22 GMT).

How many people have died or been injured?

The latest official toll is at least 68 dead, 24 on the AVE and 44 on the Iryo, given by García-Page shortly after 15:40 CET (14:40 GMT) at the command post in Urda, where he appeared with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The official count rose during the day as rescuers reached the carriages. Regional government sources gave at least 30 at about 11:30 CET (10:30 GMT), which García-Page confirmed at 12:24 CET (11:24 GMT), and the regional government gave at least 64 shortly before 14:00 CET (13:00 GMT). When we last checked the RTVE, El País and Europa Press live pages, at 19:15 CET (18:15 GMT), none reported a higher official figure.

García-Page said on Wednesday evening that the 68 included four bodies that rescuers had located in the Iryo but not yet recovered, that work to lift the two worst-damaged Iryo carriages would continue overnight, and that it was not known whether more victims would be found when they were moved (RTVE, 18:33 CET / 17:33 GMT; El País, 18:53 CET / 17:53 GMT). Government sources told El País at 16:31 CET (15:31 GMT) that they expected the toll to rise, and that no figure for missing people would be released until the inspection of the trains was complete.

Injury figures given on Wednesday do not agree, so each one is listed here with who gave it and when:

• García-Page, shortly after 15:40 CET (14:40 GMT): 15 people seriously injured and 53 more treated in hospital; the rest had minor injuries.
• Health Minister Mónica García, 16:38 CET (15:38 GMT): almost 80 injured people taken to hospitals in Toledo, Albacete, Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan, plus three referred to the Madrid region, with 15 seriously injured.
• Government sources quoted by El País, 16:06 CET (15:06 GMT): at least 27 injured people taken to hospitals in the Madrid region.
• Command-post sources quoted by El País, 17:23 CET (16:23 GMT): 108 injured, 58 of them seriously, and seven discharged. No official has given these figures on the record, and they conflict with the 15 seriously injured given by García-Page and the health minister.
• El País, 18:53 CET (17:53 GMT): four of the injured in a critical condition, in what the paper called the latest tally, without saying who gave the figure.

More than 500 people were on board the two trains. Iryo said in a statement relayed by Europa Press at 14:31 CET (13:31 GMT) that its train carried 147 passengers and five staff. Figures for the AVE ranged from 378 to 397 passengers: 397 came from Adif, via the regional government’s spokesperson at about 11:03 CET (10:03 GMT), while RTVE’s later coverage gave 393 and 378.

What have officials said about the cause?

The cause has not been officially established: Spain’s independent accident investigation authority (AITAT) and a court in Orgaz are investigating. The AITAT replaced the rail accident investigation commission (CIAF) in July, and its president told EFE it was “very early” to put forward any hypothesis about the causes (El País, 19:10 CET / 18:10 GMT). Sánchez said that establishing the origin of the crash was not for him but for the independent accident investigators and the courts. Transport Minister Óscar Puente gave a preliminary account at a press conference that began at about 14:57 CET (13:57 GMT). Train movements on the line are controlled by Adif, the state company that runs Spain’s rail infrastructure. What follows is the minister’s account as reported by RTVE, the Guardian and El País, not a finding of any investigation, and the quotes are our translations from Spanish:

• At about 08:30, the LZB train-control system at Urda went down, which Puente put down to “a communication failure between the computers on the network”. He said LZB has been used on the line since 1992 and is being replaced by the European ERTMS system.
• All the trains on a 63 km stretch stopped automatically (he said they believed there were six), and Adif’s control centre at Atocha took over managing them.
• At about 08:36, he said, the control centre took “the decision to resume running with a train stopped and with a red signal at the entrance to Urda station”.
• He said that “under both the regulations and Adif’s own protocols” the AVE “could not resume running normally”, because the track ahead was occupied by the stopped Iryo. At most, he said, it should have been told to proceed on sight, at no more than 40 km/h.
• The AVE covered about 25 km between about 08:36 and 08:53, when it hit the Iryo. Puente said its speed was not yet known.
• He said that in the communications his team had listened to, the control centre had also wrongly told another train to resume normal running, and that train’s driver corrected the instruction.

Puente called the decision to let the AVE continue “inexplicable” and “clearly wrong”, and said: “We do not know precisely what happened between the order to set off and the collision.” Iryo said its train was hit from behind “for causes that are still unknown”. Sánchez said that if there had been negligence it would come to light, and that any failures in the safety system would be dealt with firmly.

Who is investigating the crash?

Two investigations are under way, a technical one by the AITAT and a judicial one led by the duty court in Orgaz, and Guardia Civil officers are taking statements.

• AITAT: the independent authority that took over from the CIAF in July is carrying out the technical investigation, separately from the court’s. Its president told EFE that three investigators had gone to the site and two more to Adif’s control centre at Atocha (El País, 19:10 CET / 18:10 GMT). Earlier reports, citing investigation sources, described the technical inquiry as the CIAF’s.
• Courts: the High Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha (TSJCLM) says the judicial investigation falls to the duty court in Orgaz (Tribunal de Instancia de Orgaz, plaza 2), and it has activated Spain’s national forensic protocol for incidents with multiple victims. The Justice Ministry said at 17:25 CET (16:25 GMT) that four more judges, from Orgaz, Toledo and Alcázar de San Juan, would reinforce the court. The regional chief prosecutor has gone to the site, and the duty prosecutor in Orgaz has asked for investigative measures, which the judge has approved (RTVE, 18:55 CET / 17:55 GMT).
• Guardia Civil: officers have questioned Adif control-centre staff who were on duty at Atocha when the crash happened, according to investigation sources quoted by Europa Press (15:32 CET / 14:32 GMT) and El País (17:21 CET / 16:21 GMT). The force’s forensic service has also used drones to build a 3D model of the site to help reconstruct the crash (Europa Press, 19:01 CET / 18:01 GMT).

Which helplines can families and British nationals use?

Relatives can call 112 Castilla-La Mancha on 900 122 112, Renfe on 900 10 10 20 or Iryo on 900 001 403, and British nationals who need consular help should call +34 91 714 6300, the number in the FCDO’s Spain travel advice (updated 13:02 GMT on 28 October). These are the lines and offices that the UK government, the Spanish authorities and the rail companies have published:

• British embassy or consulate (FCDO): +34 91 714 6300, for British nationals who need consular support because they or a family member have been affected by the crash.
• FCDO in London (24 hours): 020 7008 5000, for people in the UK who need urgent help because something has happened to a friend or relative abroad.
• Emergencias 112 Castilla-La Mancha: 900 122 112, a free line for victims and their families.
• Renfe: 900 10 10 20, under its assistance plan for victims and families. The FCDO lists it as +34 900 10 10 20 for information about affected passengers.
• Iryo: 900 001 403, for information and assistance about the crash.
• Court assistance centre in Orgaz: 925 317 020, for victims, relatives and professionals, according to the High Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha.
• Guardia Civil offices for close relatives: Madrid (Calle Batalla del Salado 32), Seville (Avenida de la Borbolla 8), Córdoba (Guardia Civil Comandancia, Avenida de Medina Azahara 2, entrance on Avenida de los Mozárabes) and Toledo (Guardia Civil Comandancia, Avenida de Barber 42). First-degree relatives can report a missing person there and give DNA samples to help with identification, and a Guardia Civil spokesman asked them to go as soon as possible.
• Adif help points: at Madrid Puerta de Atocha–Almudena Grandes, Seville Santa Justa, Córdoba Julio Anguita and Málaga María Zambrano stations.
• Toledo: the mayor of Toledo said at 16:55 CET (15:55 GMT) that the city had opened spaces for relatives, including a centre close to the Hospital Universitario de Toledo, where most of the injured were taken.

Numbers beginning 900 are Spanish freephone lines and may not connect from outside Spain. RTVE’s passenger guide (updated 18:43 CET / 17:43 GMT) says the authorities have asked people not to use the emergency lines for ticket queries.

Are trains running between Madrid and Andalucía?

No: high-speed services between Madrid and Andalucía are suspended until further notice, and no reopening date had been given by 19:15 CET (18:15 GMT).

• Renfe told users on social media that services between Madrid and Andalucía were interrupted “with no forecast for resumption and no alternative transport plan” (RTVE, 18:20 CET / 17:20 GMT). Its plan of commuter trains and buses covers only Madrid, Ciudad Real and Puertollano, for passengers holding tickets on those routes.
• Renfe ticket sales: Renfe has stopped selling tickets on the Madrid–Andalucía high-speed corridor until 13 December. It says this is not a reopening date: reopening depends on Adif, and Renfe will restart sooner if the line reopens (RTVE, 18:27 CET / 17:27 GMT). Adif had not said how long the line would be closed, El País reported at 18:16 CET (17:16 GMT).
• Adif says high-speed trains are still running on the Madrid–Toledo and Málaga–Seville sections.
• Iryo has cancelled all its services from Madrid Puerta de Atocha to the south “with no forecast for restoring them”, it said in its statement. RTVE’s passenger guide says Iryo has suspended ticket sales on the route until 9 November; we have not seen that date from Iryo itself.
• Ouigo said it had suspended all its high-speed services between Madrid and Andalucía until at least Monday 2 November inclusive, Europa Press reported at 17:31 CET (16:31 GMT).

For other ways to travel, Iberia said it had added 520 seats on its flights to Andalucía (El País, 15:52 CET / 14:52 GMT). It has also capped fares on all its flights to and from Andalucía at €99 each way in economy and €149 in business until Sunday 8 November, with flexible changes for passengers whose plans were affected by the crash (RTVE, 13:15 CET / 12:15 GMT). Its line for changes is 900 111 500. The coach operators’ association Confebus said some of its members had increased seats fivefold, though tickets were selling out fast (RTVE, 16:24 CET / 15:24 GMT).

Can I get a refund or change my ticket?

Yes: Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo have all said passengers on affected trains can change or cancel their tickets free of charge. Renfe said on social media that it had enabled free changes and cancellations for affected trains (RTVE, 18:20 CET / 17:20 GMT). Iryo said in its statement that it had enabled free changes and cancellations for passengers and others affected. Ouigo said it had emailed every passenger on its suspended trains and guaranteed a full refund. RTVE reported that all three operators were also providing buses for passengers whose journeys had been cut short.

Under EU rail passenger rules, as summarised by RTVE, anyone holding a ticket on the suspended line for Wednesday or the following days is entitled to a full refund or a free change of date, plus assistance such as meals or a hotel, depending on the wait. RTVE also reports that the authorities have asked passengers not to go to station ticket desks, which are overwhelmed, and to use the operators’ websites, apps or customer service lines instead.

Is the Renfe drivers’ strike on 29 October going ahead?

Yes: the train drivers’ union Semaf said on Wednesday afternoon that its 24-hour strike across the Renfe Group goes ahead on Thursday 29 October, from 00:01 to 23:59 Spanish time (23:01 GMT on Wednesday to 22:59 GMT on Thursday). The strike was called on 16 October, before the crash, over rail safety and related demands. In its statement, Semaf offered its condolences, urged caution over the causes and asked drivers to take extra care. The Transport Ministry has set minimum services of 75% on Cercanías commuter trains at peak times and 50% at other times, 65% on regional (Media Distancia) trains and 73% on high-speed and long-distance trains, Europa Press reported at 17:36 CET (16:36 GMT), so check Renfe’s website or app before travelling on any Renfe service.

When are the days of mourning?

Spain has declared three days of official national mourning, from 00:00 on Thursday 29 October to midnight at the end of Saturday 31 October. Royal Decree 949/2026, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on Wednesday 28 October, declares the mourning, with the national flag at half-mast on all public buildings and Navy ships. Several regions have declared their own mourning or joined the national one:

• Madrid region: Thursday 29 to Saturday 31 October.
• Andalucía: from 14:00 on Wednesday 28 October to 14:00 on Saturday 31 October.
• Navarra: from the start of Thursday 29 October to the end of Saturday 31 October.
• Catalonia: 29 to 31 October, under a decree signed by the regional president.
• Extremadura has declared three days of mourning, and Aragón, Cantabria, Castilla y León and La Rioja have joined the national mourning.

Spain’s federation of municipalities, the FEMP, called a minute’s silence outside town halls at 20:00 CET (19:00 GMT) on Wednesday. With a general election due on 29 November, most parties suspended their pre-election events on Wednesday, RTVE reported.

How does this compare with other rail crashes in Spain?

It is Spain’s second fatal high-speed crash of 2026 and, on the current count, the country’s deadliest rail crash since 2013.

• On 18 January 2026, 46 people died near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, on the same Madrid–Andalucía line, when an Iryo train derailed onto the neighbouring track and collided with a Renfe Alvia, according to RTVE.
• In July 2013, 80 people died when an Alvia train derailed at Angrois, near Santiago de Compostela, according to Europa Press.

What don’t we know yet?

The final death toll, the cause, the identities of the victims and the date the line will reopen are all still unknown.

• Final toll: the official count may rise. García-Page said it was not known whether more victims would be found when the worst-damaged carriages were moved, and no figure for missing people has been released.
• Injuries: the official and unofficial injury totals have not been reconciled.
• Cause: why the LZB system failed, why the AVE was cleared to run normally and how fast it was travelling are for the AITAT and the court to establish.
• Identities: identification is under way, and government sources told El País the first victims had been identified. Officials have not released a list of victims, and this page does not name anyone.
• British nationals: we have seen no statement from the FCDO or the Spanish authorities on whether any are among the casualties. Sources involved in the rescue told El País that foreign nationals were among the victims, without giving nationalities.
• Reopening: no date has been given for high-speed services between Madrid and Andalucía to resume. Renfe’s ticket-sales block until 13 December is not a reopening date, and Adif had not said how long the line would stay closed.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Spain travel advice, warnings and insurance (FCDO, updated 13:02 GMT on 28 October 2026)
• GOV.UK: Spain travel advice, getting help (FCDO)
• BOE: Royal Decree 949/2026 declaring official mourning for the Urda rail accident
• Poder Judicial: High Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha statement on the judicial response to the Urda crash
• RTVE: live coverage of the Urda train crash
• RTVE: at least 68 dead as two high-speed trains collide in Urda
• RTVE: Puente’s account of the control-centre order
• RTVE: helplines and information points
• RTVE: passenger rights and claims
• RTVE: transport alternatives between Madrid and Andalucía
• El País: live coverage
• El País: maps and data on the collision
• Europa Press: live coverage
• Europa Press: what Renfe, Iryo and Adif say
• Europa Press: Iryo’s statement
• Europa Press: Renfe halts ticket sales between Madrid and Andalucía
• Europa Press: Ouigo suspends Madrid–Andalucía services
• Europa Press: Semaf keeps the 29 October strike
• Europa Press: minimum services for the Renfe strike
• The Guardian: live coverage