No fewer than 30 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain, marking the second fatal rail accident on the same line in nine months.
The collision occurred shortly after 9am on Wednesday between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, near Toledo, according to regional authorities. Several carriages derailed, with wreckage scattered down an embankment.
Castilla-La Mancha regional authorities said the death toll had risen from an initial 10, warning that it could increase further as rescue operations continued.
A person briefed on the incident said an Iryo express train had stopped near Toledo following a signal fault, on the instructions of rail infrastructure manager ADIF, when a Renfe high-speed train struck it at speed. Several carriages from both trains derailed.
The cause of the collision had not been officially established as of Wednesday.
A passenger identified as Miguel told COPE radio that he heard a loud impact moments before the accident.
“We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds, as if the train were about to derail. Through the right-hand window, we could see a wrecked train,” he said.
Another passenger, Eduarda, told Cadena SER radio that the impact threw her forwards. She said she initially thought the train had made an emergency stop but realised the severity of the crash after seeing injured passengers and being instructed to evacuate.
After climbing down an embankment, she saw part of a train hanging down the slope and a carriage on fire.
“I saw dead people,” she said.
The mayor of Los Yébenes, Jesús Pérez Martín, described the situation as “horrific”, citing reports of severe injuries.
Spain’s Health Minister, Mónica García, appealed to members of the public to donate blood to support those injured in the crash.
Regional authorities said 147 people had been travelling on the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe service. Emergency teams, police and ambulances were deployed to the scene, while a nearby town prepared temporary facilities to accommodate passengers and the injured.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, writing on X: “Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families.”
Renfe said it had established a special telephone line for victims’ families, while Iryo said it had activated its emergency protocols.
The crash occurred about nine months after a collision involving trains operated by the same companies killed 46 people near Adamuz in Córdoba province. That accident prompted debate over investment in railway maintenance.
Spain’s railway safety authority recorded 69 rail accidents in 2025, up from 45 in 2016 and 57 in 2024.
Although Spain has one of Europe’s largest high-speed rail networks, European Commission data showed that only about 16 per cent of the country’s average annual high-speed rail spending between 2018 and 2022 went towards maintenance, renewal and upgrades, with most allocated to new infrastructure.
Rescue operations and investigations into Wednesday’s collision were continuing.
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