At Least 68 Killed as High-Speed Train Rear-Ends Another Near
At Least 68 Killed as High-Speed Train Rear-Ends Another Near Toledo in Spain's Deadly Crash of 2026

A high-speed passenger train slammed into the back of another train that had stopped on the tracks south of Madrid on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people in Spain's second major rail disaster this year, officials said.

The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. near the town of Urda in Toledo province, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of the capital, on the high-speed line linking Madrid and Seville. The head of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government gave the death toll of at least 68. Rescuers were still searching the wreckage carriage by carriage, and officials warned the number could rise.

It is Europe's deadliest train crash since 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment near Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.

Train struck from behind

Both trains were traveling in the same direction, from Madrid toward Seville. A train operated by private company Iryo had stopped on the tracks on the orders of Adif, Spain's state rail infrastructure manager, because of a signal fault. A train run by state-owned operator Renfe then crashed into it from behind at high speed.

Several carriages on both trains derailed. Two Iryo carriages left the tracks, and some cars fell down an embankment, according to the regional government and Spanish media.

Regional spokesperson Esther Padilla said 147 people were aboard the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe train. According to the regional government, 40 of the dead were on the Iryo train and 24 on the Renfe train, based on an earlier tally of 64.

Officials did not immediately give a full count of the injured. Earlier reports put the number of injured at 58. Health Minister Mónica García urged people to donate blood.

Signal failure under scrutiny

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a red signal had been triggered by a failure in computer communications. He said the Renfe train was wrongly allowed to restart, in breach of protocol.

Renfe said in a statement that its train had continued as instructed and crashed into the Iryo train, which had remained stationary "for reasons we don't know." It said the investigation must establish the sequence of events.

Iryo said it had activated its emergency protocols. Renfe set up a special phone line for victims' families. Adif did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to EFE, investigators are examining the signaling systems on the affected stretch of track. Government sources told newspaper El País that a possible operating error followed a failure in the automated signaling equipment. Investigators have not determined whether a technical fault, human error or both caused the crash.

The line is equipped with an automatic train protection system designed to stop trains if a driver fails to brake, which makes a rear-end collision unusual. Spain has been gradually upgrading its signaling to a newer European standard.

'A truly enormous thud'

Passengers described scenes of chaos.

"We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds," said Miguel, a passenger in a rear carriage of the Renfe train, speaking to COPE radio.

Eduarda, a passenger on the Iryo train, said the impact threw her forward. She said she saw a train hanging down a slope and a carriage on fire. "I saw dead people," she said.

Patricia, who was in the third car of the Renfe train, told CNN that the crash came minutes after the train departed. "Some of the train structure got into our train, in our carriage, and our carriage wasn't even the worst," she said.

Rescue effort

Rescue crews, medical teams and helicopters rushed to the site between Urda and Los Yébenes. An advanced medical post was set up near the wreckage, and a sports hall in Urda was turned into a temporary reception center, where the Red Cross provided food and assistance.

Passengers came from several countries. Staff from the U.S. Embassy in Spain went to the scene.

Adif suspended high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia, disrupting travel across southern Spain.

National mourning

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez traveled to the crash site. "Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo," he wrote on X. "My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families."

Andalusian regional President Juanma Moreno said: "We are devastated." Andalusia declared three days of official mourning, and Seville Mayor José Luis Sanz announced three days of mourning in the city and suspended official events.

The crash comes during the campaign for a snap general election on Nov. 29. The opposition People's Party canceled campaign events. Vox leader Santiago Abascal criticized the government, linking the disaster to failures in public administration.

Second disaster this year

The crash revives painful memories of a disaster in January, when trains from the same two operators collided on the same line near Adamuz, in Córdoba province. A derailed train struck an oncoming train, killing about 45 people.

That crash sparked a national debate over rail maintenance spending. A preliminary Civil Guard report in February pointed to defects in the track, rails or welds as the main hypothesis, but kept other possible causes open.

Spain has one of the world's largest high-speed rail networks, covering about 4,000 kilometers. The country spent about 1.5 billion euros a year on high-speed rail between 2018 and 2022, more than any other country, but only a small share went to maintenance and upgrades, according to data cited by Reuters. Spain's rail safety authority recorded 69 accidents in 2025, up from 57 the year before.

High-speed ridership fell about 14% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier.

Officials said a full investigation would be carried out to determine what caused Wednesday's collision.