Train accident in Toledo leaves at least 68 dead after collision between two trains

At least 68 people have died following the collision of two high-speed trains that occurred this Wednesday between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, in the Spanish province of Toledo, in an accident that has also left dozens injured and caused the suspension of rail service on the Madrid-Andalusia line.

The crash occurred around 8:54 in the morning, at kilometer 118 of the Madrid-Seville line, when a Renfe AVE train and another from the company Iryo collided. As a result of the impact, up to four carriages derailed and fell down an embankment.

The president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, confirmed that the death toll had risen to 68, of which 24 were traveling on the Renfe train and the rest on the Iryo one.

Health services also attended to dozens of affected people, including passengers in serious condition. As rescue efforts progressed, authorities continued working on providing care to the victims and identifying the deceased.

Government points to a failure in the control center

The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, indicated that the accident could be related to an erroneous decision by the Adif control center in Atocha, which allowed the Renfe train to resume normal operation after a failure in the LZB railway safety system.

As the official explained, the computer failure occurred around 8:30 in the morning and caused the automatic stop of several trains that were traveling along a section of approximately 63 kilometers.

At 8:36, the control center allegedly ordered the Renfe train to continue its journey normally, even though, according to Puente, protocols required maintaining the stop or proceeding with caution and at a reduced speed.

The minister maintained that there was enough time to correct the instruction before the impact, which occurred approximately twenty minutes after the initial order.

The Civil Guard interrogated the control center operator who regulated traffic on the affected section, as part of the investigations to clarify the circumstances of the accident.

Service suspension and assistance to those affected

The severity of the accident forced the suspension of high-speed train traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia line. In addition, the authorities deployed health and transport resources to attend to the injured and facilitate the transfer of the affected passengers.

Renfe made the phone number 900 10 10 20 available to family members, while the company Iryo enabled the number 900 001 403. The 112 emergency service of Castilla-La Mancha also provided the contact 900 122 112.

The Civil Guard set up offices in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, and Toledo to assist victims’ families, collect DNA samples, and collaborate in the identification of missing persons.

For their part, residents and establishments in Los Yébenes organized to collect water and food for those who remained in the vicinity of the accident site.

In light of the railway service disruption, Iberia announced that it would temporarily cap the prices of its flights originating from or destined for Madrid and Andalusia, with maximum fares of 99 euros in economy class and 149 euros in business class, until November 8.

Likewise, the Regional Government of Andalusia declared three days of official mourning throughout the autonomous community in memory of the victims. The Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces called for a minute of silence in the country’s town halls.

The authorities continue to investigate the accident to determine responsibilities and establish precisely how the collision between both trains occurred.