Toledo Rail Crash Kills 30 as Trains Collide

At least 30 people died on Wednesday when a high-speed train collided with the rear of a stationary train in Toledo province, central Spain. Local media reported the toll rose from an initial count of 10 deaths. The accident occurred in a flat, rural area between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes.

Spanish rail operator ADIF confirmed that rail service was suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia following the impact. Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, told state broadcaster TVE that both trains were traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville. She stated that the cause of the crash remained unknown at the time of her comments.

The collision involved a train operated by the state-owned RENFE and a train from the private carrier IRYO. Spanish media reported that the RENFE vehicle rammed the IRYO train. Padilla said the RENFE train carried 397 passengers, while the IRYO train had 147 passengers on board. One of the IRYO cars was shredded into metal fragments, with debris scattered down a gravel slope.

Spanish Health Minister Mónica García told TVE that emergency workers were prioritizing the rescue of survivors and the recovery of bodies from the two most damaged cars. She noted that injured passengers were being transported to various hospitals in the region. García described the event as a tragedy due to the high-speed nature of the impact.

A military emergency brigade was deployed to assist firefighters, police, and emergency services at the scene. Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda, said civil protection authorities asked his town hall to prepare a local sports pavilion to treat injured passengers. The Italian-owned IRYO company stated that it had activated its security protocols and was working closely with authorities.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his scheduled activities to focus on the accident. He posted on X that he was dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo and that emergency services were attending to affected passengers. Regional president Emiliano García-Page said on X that he was traveling to the crash site.

This is the second major train accident in Spain this year. In January, 45 people died when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train in the south. That incident was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people.