Train collision in Urda leaves 30 dead and halts the Madrid-Sevilla line

A Renfe train and an Iryo train have collided in Urda, Toledo, with a death toll rising to 30 by midday. High-speed travel between Madrid and Andalucía is cancelled, and it is unclear how long the disruption will last.

A train from Renfe and another from Iryo collided at 8:54 this Wednesday in Urda (Toledo), according to information published by viajes.nationalgeographic.com.es. The accident has forced the cancellation of the high-speed line connecting Madrid with Sevilla, passing through Ciudad Real, and two carriages have fallen down the embankment.

According to Adif, the incident occurred between Mora and Orgaz and Urda, at PK 118. The Renfe train 2080 struck the Iryo 6076 at the entrance of Urda station. Government sources indicate that the Renfe train was ordered to proceed despite the signal being red. It is unknown why the Iryo train was stopped.

By midday, the toll stands at 30 deceased, 24 in the Renfe carriage and 6 in the Iryo carriage, in addition to numerous injured individuals taken to hospitals in the region. A witness described to Europa Press a “very strong collision” in which the fuselage of the Iryo “went flying.”

very strong collision

The Government of Castilla-La Mancha has activated the Territorial Emergency Plan. At the scene, eight fire crews are working, including those from the parks in Alcázar de San Juan and Orgaz, Civil Protection from several nearby towns, three medical helicopters, and two ambulances.

For the families of those affected, Renfe has set up the phone number 900 10 10 20, which is requested to be used solely for this purpose. The company has also established free changes and cancellations for all trains affected by the closure of the Madrid-Andalucía line.

This is the second serious accident on Spanish high-speed rail this year. In February, in Adamuz (Córdoba), an Iryo train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and collided with an Alvia train coming in the opposite direction, resulting in 46 fatalities. The main hypothesis for that case points to the breaking of a rail weld.