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Spain Train Crash: Shocking images show rail piercing through carriage
The collision near Urda caused several carriages to derail, leaving wreckage scattered across the tracks and a nearby embankment.
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Shocking images of a section of railway track piercing through a carriage of a Renfe AVE high-speed train have emerged after a collision between two trains killed at least 68 people in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday, October 28.
The images show the sheer force of the collision, with a bent section of the track appearing to have pierced through a passenger carriage and protruding around 10 metres beyond the train. The extent of the damage highlights the destruction caused by the crash and the danger faced by passengers on board.
A picture examined by BBC shows the rail passing through the carriage and emerging from its roof. Other footage, filmed from the opposite side of the tracks, also shows the bent rail apparently piercing a carriage bearing the logo of Renfe AVE, the high-speed service operated by Spain’s national rail company.
Deep Dive
The collision near Urda caused several carriages to derail, leaving wreckage scattered across the tracks and a nearby embankment.
The aerial footage of the collision showed two trains, one silver in colour and the other in red. In the video shared on X, two cars of the red train can be seen derailed after being hit.
One train ran into the tail of another that had stopped, causing carriages to derail. The crash occurred on a flat stretch surrounded by olive fields between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, the report added.
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'A massive roar': Passenger on Spain's train clash
A passenger named Miguel, who said he was travelling with several colleagues in the rear car of one of the trains, described the terrifying moments after the collision to Spanish radio station COPE.
“We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds, as if the train were about to derail,” he said.
He added: “Through the right-hand window, we could see a wrecked train. I imagine it must have been the other one.”
The crash occurred around 60 miles south of Madrid. It was the second major accident on Spain’s rail network this year and the deadliest train crash in more than a decade.
Also Read | Spain train crash: Aerial footage shows derailed coaches after collision kills 64
What caused the Spain train collision?
According to a person briefed on the incident, a train operated by private rail consortium Iryo had stopped near Toledo on the instructions of Spain's rail infrastructure manager, Adif, because of a signal fault, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
A train operated by state-owned rail company Renfe subsequently struck the stationary Iryo train at high speed, causing several carriages on both trains to derail, the person said.
Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue its journey before it collided with the Iryo service, which had remained stationary “for reasons we don't know”.
“The Renfe train continued on its way as instructed, and a collision occurred. The exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact will have to be established by the investigation,” the company said in a statement.
The Associated Press, citing local media reports, said the two trains were travelling in the same direction when one struck the rear of the other, knocking two carriages off the tracks.
The exact sequence of events leading to the collision remains to be established by the investigation.
Spain suspends high-speed rail services
Spain's rail infrastructure operator Adif suspended services on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line following the collision.
“Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains,” the infrastructure operator said in a post on X.
The suspension disrupted rail connections between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia as emergency teams worked at the crash site.
Manuel Galán, mayor of the nearby town of Urda, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that several passengers had been injured. He said civil protection authorities had asked the town council to prepare a sports pavilion to accommodate passengers affected by the accident.
Jesús Pérez, mayor of the neighbouring village of Los Yébenes, also told TVE that the crash appeared to be serious.
Meanwhile, Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page said in a post on X that he was heading to the crash site.
Madrid City Council deployed around 100 personnel to assist with the emergency response, according to local media reports.
The deployment included seven fire service vehicles, 16 ambulances and specialist rescue teams. Two psychologists from Madrid's emergency service, SAMUR-PC, were also providing support at a crisis room at Atocha railway station.
