At least 64 killed in collision of two high-speed trains in Spain
A stationary Iryo train near Toledo was struck by a Renfe high-speed train, causing a derailment that left at least 64 people dead and dozens injured.
At least 64 people were confirmed dead after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo, Spain, on Oct. 28, regional authorities said. The accident occurred on the Madrid-Seville line when an Iryo express train stopped after a signal fault, according to a source briefed on the disaster. A Renfe train then hit the stationary train at high speed, causing multiple carriages of both trains to derail and fall down an embankment.
Video from Castilla-La Mancha Television showed twisted metal and wreckage scattered across the slope, with several carriages hanging from the elevated track. Passengers described a loud roar and a prolonged thud before seeing the wreckage. One passenger, Eduarda, said she was thrown forward by the impact, evacuated down the embankment, and witnessed a fire in one carriage.
Emergency responders, including a helicopter, police and ambulances, arrived within about 20 minutes. Local officials reported that 147 people were aboard the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe train. The Castilla-La Mancha regional government said the death toll had risen from an earlier estimate of 30.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed solidarity with victims on social media, while the opposition People’s Party cancelled campaign events ahead of the Nov. 29 election. Both Renfe and Iryo activated emergency protocols and offered support to families of the victims.
The collision follows a similar high-speed train crash on the same line nine months earlier that killed 46 people, prompting debate over railway maintenance investment. Spain’s railway safety authority reported an increase in accidents from 45 in 2016 to 69 in 2025, while maintenance spending has lagged behind other European countries.