A stopped train and an authorised move
The collision happened at 08:54 local time on Wednesday between the towns of Urda and Los Yebenes, about 130km south of Madrid, on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line. A Renfe AVE train carrying 397 passengers ran into the rear of an Iryo train carrying 147 people that had stopped further up the track. Both trains were travelling in the same direction.
The impact pushed two carriages off the rails and down a gravel embankment. One carriage was torn apart, scattering metal, seats and luggage across the slope. Emergency crews from several provinces worked through the afternoon and into the night. The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galan, opened the town sports hall as a shelter for survivors and relatives.
Operator accounts point to the control centre
Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue its journey and then struck the Iryo unit, which had remained stationary "for reasons we don't know". The company said the exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact must be established by the investigation. Iryo, owned by Italy's state railway group, said it had activated safety protocols and was working with the authorities. Infrastructure manager Adif has not published the signalling record.
Spain's transport minister called the cause an "inexplicable" error and said decisions taken by the control centre would be part of the inquiry.
Second crash this year for the same two operators
At least 68 people have been confirmed dead, according to figures cited by Spanish media and the BBC, and officials expect the toll to rise as rescuers reach the wreckage. It is Spain's worst rail disaster since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment, which killed 80 people.
The crash is also the second this year involving Renfe and Iryo trains on the same corridor. Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia has been suspended, and long-distance passengers are being moved by bus. Survivors described a heavy impact about 40 minutes into the journey, then panic, broken glass and a long wait for help on a flat stretch of farmland.