:NOW Last updated 2026-10-28 10:00 UTC. Built from Guardian (09:31Z, 09:48Z), Al Jazeera (09:26Z), DW (09:17Z), France24 (09:01Z), NBC News, Euronews, and Castilla-La Mancha 112 emergency service. :INFO What happened A Renfe AVE high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train at kilometre 118 of the Madrid-Seville high-speed line at approximately 08:54 local time (07:54 UTC) on Wednesday 28 October 2026. The crash occurred between the towns of Mora, Orgaz, and Urda in the province of Toledo, central Spain. Two carriages of the Iryo train derailed and fell down an embankment. At least 39 people are confirmed dead and 48 people have been hospitalised, 12 in intensive care. The death toll is expected to rise. The Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line has been suspended. :COUNTER 39 People confirmed dead (provisional figure, expected to rise) :COUNTER 48 People hospitalised, 12 in intensive care :STATS [icon:CLOCK] Time of collision | 08:54 local time (07:54 UTC), Wednesday 28 October 2026 [icon:CLOCK] Location | Kilometre 118, Madrid-Seville line, between Mora, Orgaz, and Urda, Toledo province [icon:USERS] Deaths confirmed | at least 39 (provisional) [icon:USERS] Hospitalised | 48 (12 in intensive care) [icon:USERS] Total passengers affected | 484 (147 on Iryo, 297 on Renfe AVE, plus crew) [icon:CHART] Carriages derailed | 2 (Iryo wagons fell down embankment) [icon:BOLT] Emergency aircraft deployed | 3 medical helicopters [icon:BOLT] Intensive care ambulances | 2 [icon:CLOCK] Line suspended | Madrid-Seville high-speed corridor (Madrid, Ciudad Real, Andalusia) [icon:CHART] Spain high-speed network size | 3,622 km (largest in Europe, 2nd globally after China) :INFO The collision: what the evidence shows The Renfe AVE had left Madrid-Atocha station at 08:00 bound for Seville. The Iryo train on the same line had stopped. Preliminary information from Spain's Transport Ministry indicates the AVE struck the rear of the stationary Iryo train. TVE, Spain's state broadcaster, reported both trains were travelling in the same direction before the Iryo train halted. The Renfe train had also slowed because of a traffic problem on the line. Railway union SEMAF said the safety systems on the high-speed network should have prevented a rear-end collision, and called the cause "very strange." Investigators are examining whether a signalling error allowed the AVE to close on the stopped Iryo train without automatic braking being triggered. :INFO What is not yet known The exact reason the safety and signalling systems did not prevent the collision has not been established. The official death toll is provisional: rescue teams and heavy machinery were still working to clear the two derailed carriages as of 10:00 UTC. The total number of injured has not been confirmed. No one has been formally named as responsible. Spain's accident investigation authority had not yet announced the formal inquiry scope as of the time of publication. :QUOTE [links:https://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/spain-train-crash-high-speed-collision-toledo-rcna606070, quotetype:plain, subtitle:Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on X] I am deeply shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. My affection, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families. :QUOTE [links:https://www.democrata.es/en/current-events/the-railway-union-sees-the-toledo-accident-as-very-strange-because-of-the-safety-of-the-line/, quotetype:plain, subtitle:SEMAF railway union spokesman Rafael Escudero] If it is confirmed that one of the trains was stopped and the other hit it from behind, we will need to determine why the safety mechanisms did not prevent the collision. :INFO Background: Spain's second high-speed disaster in 2026 The January 2026 Adamuz rail disaster killed 46 people and injured 292 when an Iryo train from Malaga derailed and struck a Renfe train near Adamuz, Cordoba province. That crash was described by Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente as "a very strange accident" on a straight, recently renovated section of track. An investigation found evidence of a rail fracture before impact. SEMAF had warned ADIF in writing in August 2025 of severe wear and tear on the Madrid-Andalusia line, citing potholes, uneven joints, and damaged overhead lines. No corrective action had been publicly announced before the October 28 crash. :TIMELINE Key events: Toledo crash, 28 October 2026 Renfe AVE departs Madrid-Atocha bound for Seville. AVE strikes the rear of a stationary Iryo train at km 118, near Urda, Toledo province. Two carriages fall down an embankment. Castilla-La Mancha 112 emergency service dispatches firefighters, 3 helicopters, 2 intensive care ambulances. Urda mayor prepares local sports hall for injured. France24 reports the collision. DW, Al Jazeera, and Guardian confirm within 30 minutes. Regional government spokesperson confirms at least 10 dead, warns toll will rise. ADIF suspends the Madrid-Seville high-speed line. Revised figures: at least 39 confirmed dead, 48 hospitalised (12 in intensive care), 484 passengers affected. Investigation into signalling failure under way. :TIMELINE Spain high-speed rail: recent major incidents 2025-08-01 | SEMAF writes to ADIF warning of heavy track wear on the Madrid-Andalusia line. No corrective measures publicly announced. 2026-01-18 | Adamuz disaster: Iryo train derails near Cordoba and strikes a Renfe train; 46 killed, 292 injured. Cause: possible rail fracture on recently renovated track. Investigation into Adamuz crash ongoing; no final report published before second crash. 2026-10-28 | Toledo crash: Renfe AVE rear-ends stationary Iryo train at km 118 near Urda; at least 39 dead. :CHECKLIST What to watch next [ ] - Official death toll update as rescue teams clear the derailed carriages; 12 in ICU are critical. [ ] - Spain's accident investigation authority formal inquiry scope and initial findings. [ ] - Whether ADIF's signalling and automatic train protection systems functioned correctly. [ ] - Parliamentary response: PM Sanchez has cancelled his schedule; cross-party calls for a safety review are expected. [ ] - Status of Madrid-Seville high-speed line reopening timeline. [ ] - Compensation and passenger rights for the 484 people aboard both trains. :NOTE How we know this. Collision time, location, and carriage details: Castilla-La Mancha 112 emergency service, as reported by Guardian (09:31Z), Al Jazeera (09:26Z), DW (09:17Z), France24 (09:01Z), and NBC News. Death toll and hospitalisations: JFeed citing Castilla-La Mancha Civil Protection, NBC News, Euronews. Passenger counts (147 and 297): search summary citing El Pais and Castilla-La Mancha data. SEMAF warning and Adamuz context: Reuters/SEMAF letter (August 2025), as cited in search summarie :LINK https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/oct/28/spain-train-crash-toledo-europe-latest-news-updates Guardian: Spain train crash live updates - at least 10 feared dead after collision in Toledo province :LINK https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/injuries-reported-after-two-trains-collide-in-spain Al Jazeera: Injuries reported after two trains collide in Spain :LINK https://www.dw.com/en/at-least-10-people-killed-after-high-speed-trains-collide-in-central-spain/a-79781858 DW: At least 10 people killed after high-speed trains collide in central Spain :LINK https://www.nbcnews.com/world/spain/spain-train-crash-high-speed-collision-toledo-rcna606070 NBC News: Spain train crash - at least 10 dead after high-speed trains collide near Toledo :LINK https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/28/train-crash-in-spain-reportedly-kills-at-least-10-people-multiple-injured Euronews: High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 10 people, death toll expected to rise :LINK https://www.democrata.es/en/current-events/the-railway-union-sees-the-toledo-accident-as-very-strange-because-of-the-safety-of-the-line/ Democrata: Railway union sees the Toledo accident as very strange because of the safety of the line