Spain Train Crash High Speed Train Accident Adamuz Train Derailment — Rescue teams at the site of Spain's deadliest train collision in Adamuz, Córdoba, after a high-speed derailmen

Train derailment in Spain causes collision, at least 39 dead

Dozens were injured after a high-speed train derailed and smashed into an oncoming one. The cause of the accident, the deadliest since 2013 in Spain, was not immediately clear.

By Fahad On Jan 19, 2026

Spain – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)

A high-speed train derailed on Sunday in southern Spain, crashing into another train and killing at least 39 people, while dozens more were injured, authorities reported. This is the deadliest train accident in Spain since 2013.

Spain’s Civil Guard confirmed the death toll early Monday, while emergency services in Andalucía reported the number of injured.

Video footage showed a passenger climbing out of a twisted train car, with rescue teams assisting nearby. Other clips captured passengers collecting their belongings and using flashlights to navigate the dark.

The collision occurred around 7:45 p.m. in Adamuz, near Córdoba, on the main high-speed line connecting southern Spain to Madrid. According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the rear cars of the first train derailed and landed on the opposite track, causing the front cars of the second train to derail as well.

The cause of the initial derailment was not immediately clear. Mr. Puente said the first train was just a few years old and that the section of track where the crash occurred had recently been renovated.

“The accident is extremely strange,” he said. “It happened on a straightaway. All the experts we have consulted are extremely baffled.”

The first train, operated by the private company Iryo, was traveling to Madrid from Málaga, on the country’s southern coast. The second train, operated by Spain’s national rail company, Renfe, had departed from Madrid and was bound for the southern city of Huelva, west of Sevilla.

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Iryo said around 300 passengers were on board the first train at the time of the crash. Renfe has not said how many passengers the second train was carrying.

Here’s what else to know:

The victims:The Andalucía government set up a medical post at the crash site to treat victims, and the Córdoba city government issued an urgent appeal for doctors to help treat the injured.
Rail suspensions:High-speed trains across much of southern Spain will be suspended on Monday, Spain’s railway infrastructure operator said on social media.
Spain’s rail network:The country ranks second worldwide behind China in high-speed rail network length, according to the International Union of Railways. About 40 million passengers use Spain’s high speed rail network every year, Renfe says, and its average speeds rival those of global leaders like Japan and France.