68 dead in Urda collision, bringing 2026 Spain rail fatalities to 117
The latest crash on the Madrid to Seville line marks the fourth fatal train incident in the country this year, ending a 34-year safety record on high-speed tracks.
By Maya Morris ·
Regional authorities reported that at least 68 people died when two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday. Dozens of others were injured in the impact, which occurred while both trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville. The accident halted high-speed rail services connecting Madrid with the Andalusia region.
The collision happened when one train struck the rear of another that had stopped on the tracks. Two cars derailed in the impact. This event follows a similar incident earlier this year that also involved trains operating on the same corridor between Madrid and Andalusia.
Spain has built Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, second only to China’s. Officials stated that until this year, there had been no fatal incidents on these dedicated high-speed lines since the network opened in 1992. The Adamuz disaster in January ended that streak. That crash involved an Iryo train and a Renfe train, killing 46 people and injuring more than 100. Investigators found a rail fracture that appeared to predate the derailment.
The year has seen two other fatal rail incidents in Spain. On January 20, a commuter train near Gelida, outside Barcelona, crashed after a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks during heavy rain. One person died and 41 were injured. This accident occurred two days after the Adamuz crash and led to a suspension of commuter services in Catalonia.
In February, a passenger train from Madrid to Badajoz struck a car at a railroad crossing near Talavera de la Reina. The driver of the car was killed. Regional emergency services reported that none of the 206 passengers aboard the train were injured. Rail traffic was interrupted, and replacement transportation was arranged for the passengers.
The Wednesday crash near Urda is the latest in a series of events that have tested the safety record of the Spanish rail system. The Madrid to Seville line has seen two fatal high-speed accidents in the past nine months. Both involved trains operated by the state-owned RENFE and the private company IRYO.
Source: WRAZ
