Two high-speed trains collided near Urda, Spain, on Wednesday 28 October, on the railway line linking Madrid and Andalusia. There is the potential for it to be the country’s worst rail disaster, with a provisional toll of at least 68 dead and several dozen injured at the time of going to press.
The national operator’s train, Renfe, was carrying 397 passengers, while the private operator’s train, Iryo, was carrying 147 passengers, according to a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha.
The European Union said on Wednesday that it was ready to provide the Spanish authorities with “all the help it can”. “Today, Europe mourns with you”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added on X. Several heads of state or government and European leaders also expressed their condolences and solidarity with Madrid.
European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho said that the EU was working closely with the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) to determine the circumstances of the accident. “We are monitoring the situation in cooperation with ERA. […] It is still too early to draw conclusions, but, through the Agency, we will look more closely at the situation and make any contacts that may be necessary in these tragic circumstances”, she said.
This is the second accident of this magnitude in Spain since the beginning of the year, following an earlier tragedy in January. The collision at Adamuz, also involving two high-speed trains, had reignited debate about the maintenance of the rail network and passenger safety. (Original version in French by Juliette Verdes)