Toledo train collision kills at least 10, halts Madrid to Seville route
A rear-end impact between two high-speed services in central Spain has derailed cars and suspended rail traffic for the southern corridor.
By Sophie Costa ·
High-speed rail travel across central Spain paused on Wednesday after a collision in the Toledo province left at least 10 people dead. The crash occurred when a moving train struck the rear of another service that had come to a stop, knocking two cars off the tracks. Authorities in the Castilla La Mancha region confirmed the death count and warned that the figure would likely increase.
The incident involved two services traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville. One train was operated by the state-owned RENFE, while the other belonged to the private carrier IRYO. Esther Padilla, the regional spokeswoman, stated that the cause of the collision remained unknown. She noted that 397 passengers were aboard the RENFE train and 147 were on the IRYO service.
The collision marks the second major rail disaster for these operators in under ten months. In January, a different incident in southern Spain resulted in 45 deaths when a train derailed into an oncoming vehicle. That event was the deadliest in the country since 2013. Both accidents have drawn attention to safety protocols within the national high-speed network.
Local officials in the nearby town of Urda mobilized resources to assist the injured. Mayor Manuel Galán said civil protection authorities requested that the local sports pavilion be prepared for passenger care. Rail operator ADIF suspended service between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia to manage the aftermath.
Emiliano García-Page, the regional president, traveled to the site to oversee the response. The suspension affects a primary corridor for travelers moving between the capital and the south. Passengers are currently waiting for updates on the duration of the service outage and the final tally of casualties.
Source: NPR
