Spain is in mourning after one of the worst train disasters in the country's recent history. At least 68 people were killed on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, when a high-speed train crashed into the back of another train that had stopped on the track near the town of Urda, south of Madrid.
The crash happened in the morning on the busy high-speed line that links Madrid with the southern city of Seville. Rescue teams worked through the day and into the night, searching twisted carriages for survivors and for more victims. Officials warned that the death toll could still rise.
What happened near Urda
The two trains were travelling in the same direction, from Madrid towards Seville. One was run by Renfe, Spain's state railway company. The other was run by Iryo, a private rail company. The Renfe train hit the rear of the Iryo train, which had stopped on the track.
The force of the crash pushed two carriages off the track. At least three carriages fell down an embankment beside an elevated stretch of track. Photos from the scene showed broken metal, shattered panels and debris spread across the ground below.
The crash took place in a flat farming area between the small towns of Urda and Los Yebenes, in Toledo province, in the Castilla-La Mancha region. Emergency teams, ambulances, funeral vans and helicopters gathered at the site within hours.
Reports on the number of injured people differ as hospitals continue to treat the wounded. Regional officials and news agencies put the figure between 77 and 100, with dozens in serious condition. Spain's health minister said the injured were taken to several hospitals in the area.
A red signal and a wrong decision
Spain's transport minister, Oscar Puente, said the crash happened after the Renfe train was allowed to move forward even though a red signal was active. The red signal had been set because a train was stopped ahead on the same track.
According to the minister, a computer communications failure had stopped traffic on the line automatically. Then, he said, a wrong decision was taken to restart the Renfe train. He described this as a breach of protocol.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the crash site and spoke to the nation from nearby. He promised a full and open investigation.
"We will get to the bottom of this, and if there was negligence, it will be revealed, and if there were system failures, there will be a strong response," he said.
He also declared three days of national mourning, from October 29 to 31.
"What is unacceptable for a country like Spain is to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year," he said.
The second deadly crash this year
The Urda crash is the second deadly high-speed rail accident in Spain in 2026. In January, 46 people died when trains run by the same two companies crashed near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, in the south of the country. That crash started a national debate about spending on rail safety and maintenance.
The October crash is now described as Europe's deadliest rail disaster since 2013. It has raised fresh questions about how safe Spain's high-speed network really is. For many years, the network was a source of national pride.
Spain's main opposition party, the People's Party, cancelled its campaign events for the day. Spain is due to hold a national election on November 29, so the disaster has also become part of the political debate about public safety and government responsibility.
Stories from the survivors
Survivors described a sudden, violent impact just before 9 in the morning. One passenger, travelling with work colleagues in a rear carriage, told a Spanish radio station that he heard a huge roar that lasted about ten seconds, as if the train was about to leave the tracks. Through the window, he could see a wrecked train beside them.
Another passenger, Joaquim Torres, was travelling from Madrid to Seville. He rushed to help other passengers after the crash. Fighting back tears, he told reporters that he held a woman in his arms and tried to comfort her, but she stopped breathing and died.
What happens next
Renfe has launched its own investigation, alongside the official inquiry. Investigators will study the signalling system, the computer failure, the decision to restart the train, and the safety rules that were supposed to stop such a crash from happening.
Across Spain, flags are at half-mast, and people are asking the same question: how could this happen twice in one year?
The answer, the prime minister has promised, will come from the investigation. Until then, Spain grieves for the 68 people who set out on an ordinary morning journey and never reached their destination.
Sources
- Al Jazeera — "Train crash in Spain kills at least 68 people": https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/injuries-reported-after-two-trains-collide-in-spain
- Al Jazeera — "'I held this woman in my arms. She died': Spain mourns train crash victims": https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/29/i-held-this-woman-in-my-arms-she-died-spain-mourns-train-crash-victims
- BusinessWorld Online — "At least 68 people dead in Spain's second major train crash this year": https://bworldonline.com/world/2026/10/29/790075/at-least-68-people-dead-in-spains-second-major-train-crash-this-year/
- Khaleej Times (Reuters) — "At least 68 people killed in Spain after two high-speed trains collide": https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/europe/two-high-speed-trains-collide-in-spain-death-toll
- Onmanorama (Reuters) — "Over 60 killed, 100 injured as two high-speed trains collide in Spain": https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2026/10/28/spain-high-speed-train-collision-death-toll-updates-live.html
- The New Indian Express — "High-speed train collision kills 68 in Spain's second deadly rail crash this year": https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2026/Oct/28/high-speed-train-crash-kills-10-in-central-spain-toll-expected-to-rise
- BusinessMirror (Associated Press) — "At least 30 dead in crash between 2 trains in Spain": https://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/10/28/at-least-30-dead-in-crash-between-2-trains-in-spain/
Note: early reports put the death toll lower; the figure of at least 68 was confirmed by the Castilla-La Mancha regional government later on October 28. Injured figures differ between outlets (77 to 100) as hospitals update their counts.
