Adif suspends Madrid-Seville line after ten killed in Toledo collision

Two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday morning in Toledo province, killing at least ten people. The crash occurred on the rail line connecting Madrid and Seville, prompting Spain’s state rail infrastructure authority to suspend services between the capital and the southern region of Andalucía.

Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, confirmed the ten deaths. She told local media that the information coming from the scene was not good and that the total number of fatalities could increase. Government sources told El País that the severity of this incident may surpass the Adamuz rail disaster from January, which resulted in forty-six deaths.

TVE reported that the accident involved one train striking the rear of another. The impact knocked two carriages off the track. Footage from Castilla La Mancha Television showed the derailed train, with at least one carriage still resting on an elevated section of the line. Debris, including twisted metal and broken panels, was scattered across the embankment below.

Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda near Toledo, stated that emergency services asked him to prepare a local sports hall to house the injured. The collision occurred in Castilla-La Mancha, a region where the crash site is located.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X that he was in constant contact with the transport minister and the president of Castilla-La Mancha. He described emergency services as working on the ground to assist those affected in coordination with various administrations. Sánchez expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the opposition People’s party, also commented on the accident via X. He expressed concern over the new rail accident and emphasized that the priority is to attend to the victims and support their families. He offered his full support to the emergency teams at the scene.

Spain’s main political parties suspended their planned activities for the day in the wake of the crash. The parties are currently preparing for a general election scheduled for next month.