Services between Madrid and the south remain suspended after Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade.
At least 68 people have died and more than 100 have been injured after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in Toledo province. It is the second fatal crash this year on the line linking Madrid with Andalusia.
What Happened
The collision happened on Wednesday morning, 28 October. It occurred at kilometre marker 118 near Urda and involved a Renfe train and an Iryo train, both travelling from Madrid to Seville. One train struck the rear of the other while it was stopped, and two of the stationary train’s carriages were knocked off the track.
There were 397 passengers on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train. The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha said at least 24 of the victims were on the AVE train and 44 on the stationary Iryo train, and that more than 100 people were injured to varying degrees.
Suspected Cause
According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the control system at Urda failed and six trains were brought to a halt. One was then cleared to restart and travelled 25km before striking a stopped train at high speed. Puente called this “inexplicable.” Reports indicate the Renfe train was cleared to run without speed restrictions because a train controller issued an incorrect order. Traffic in the area had already been disrupted by a problem with the LZB train safety management system.
Officials have pledged to find the cause and to act with the utmost firmness on any negligence. The public-sector union CSIF has called for Puente’s resignation.
A Second Tragedy in One Year
The death toll is higher than January’s high-speed crash in southern Spain, which killed 45 people. Wednesday’s collision happened about 130 miles from the January crash site near Adamuz, on the same Madrid–Seville high-speed route. It is also the deadliest high-speed train crash in Spain since 2013, when 80 people died in a derailment in Galicia.
Travel Disruption
Renfe has suspended services between Madrid and Andalusia for Thursday. Iryo has cancelled all Southern Corridor departures from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha and has no estimate for when services will resume.
Anyone travelling between Madrid and Málaga, Seville or the Costa del Sol in the coming days should check with their operator before setting off and consider flights or road travel as alternatives. International passengers were among those affected. The US State Department said several Americans were injured.
Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone affected.
