At least 46 people were killed after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, Spanish media outlet ABC reported. The collision occurred on Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo. Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia have been suspended until further notice.
“Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains,” Spain’s rail infrastructure operator, Adif, said in a message posted on X.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, confirmed that 147 people were travelling on the Iryo train, while the Renfe AVE train was carrying 397 passengers.
Video footage broadcast by regional channel Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a derailed train, with at least one carriage still perched on an elevated stretch of track. Debris, including mangled metal and shattered panels, was scattered down the embankment below the railway line.
Spanish public broadcaster TVE reported that the accident involved two high-speed trains travelling in the same direction. One train reportedly crashed into the rear of the other, causing two carriages to derail.
Sources in y told ABC that human error may have caused the accident. An employee of state-owned railway infrastructure operator Adif, who was reportedly working to repair a fault in the main signalling system, is suspected of failing to warn the Renfe AVE train about the Iryo train ahead.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is seeking re-election next month, expressed shock over the train collision.
In a post on X, he said, “Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. I remain in constant contact with the Minister of Transport and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha.”
“Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations,” he wrote.
The latest collision occurred nine months after a separate accident involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same railway line claimed 46 lives.
The January crash took place near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, when a train derailed and collided with an oncoming train. The incident raised questions about whether sufficient funds had been allocated to railway maintenance in recent years.
