Spain: Madrid–Andalusia High-Speed Trains Suspended Indefinitely After Urda Crash; Four Strike Days Ahead

Update to our October 31 Spain story: high-speed service between Madrid and Seville is now suspended with no reopening date after last week’s deadly crash near Urda, and the train drivers’ union has kept two Renfe strike days on top of the Ouigo stoppage and the November 11 general strike.

November 1, 2026 — Spain’s main rail link between Madrid and Andalusia is shut indefinitely after two trains collided near Urda, in Toledo province, on Wednesday, October 28. At least 69 people died. With the line closed and four strike days due in the next two weeks, rail travel in Spain will be difficult well into November.

What’s new since yesterday

• Line closed, no date to reopen: All high-speed trains between Madrid and Seville are suspended until further notice. Rail infrastructure manager Adif has not set a reopening date, and repairs to track and electrical systems could take weeks.
• Tickets frozen: Renfe has stopped selling AVE and Avlo tickets on the route until December 13, though it says that is not the reopening date. Iryo has cancelled all its trains on the route, and Ouigo has suspended its services to the south.
• Possible target: Diario de Sevilla, citing people familiar with the work, reported November 14 as a working target for reopening. There is no official confirmation, and it depends on clearing the wreckage, repairs and Adif approval.
• What still runs: Málaga–Seville trains, and Cercanías and regional services around Seville, are not affected. Conventional trains from Madrid go only as far as Ciudad Real and Puertollano, about 1.5 hours slower, and do not reach Córdoba or Seville. Routes from Barcelona and Valencia to Seville and Málaga that use the closed section are also suspended.
• Renfe replacement plan: Renfe’s alternative transport plan has been delayed and cannot start before Tuesday, November 3 at the earliest.
• Cause: The automatic train protection system (LZB) failed at 8:31 a.m., before the collision. Investigators have not yet said whether that caused the crash. A January 2026 collision on the same line killed 46 people.

Strike dates

Semaf says the Renfe strikes were planned before the crash and are about rail safety. During its stoppage on October 30, about 48% of Madrid Cercanías trips were cancelled, and 12.5% of Renfe long-distance trips did not run, even with government-set minimum services. The general strike over housing is the first joint general strike by Spain’s two largest unions in 14 years.

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What it means for airline travelers

• Madrid to Seville or Córdoba: Plan to fly or take a bus. Iberia and Iberia Express have added 98 flights through November 8 with capped fares, Air Europa has added seats, and Wizz Air starts Madrid–Málaga and Madrid–Seville flights on November 6. Bus company Socibus has added seats from Madrid’s Estación Sur.
• Flying standby on those domestic flights: Expect them to be full while the line is closed. Have a confirmed bus or flight as a backup rather than counting on an open seat.
• Arriving in Málaga or Seville from abroad: Local trains in Andalusia are running, so onward travel within the region works. A rail connection to Madrid does not.
• Refunds: Renfe and Iryo allow free changes or cancellations, and Ouigo is refunding suspended trains in full. Spain’s consumer agency says that if a delay of 60 minutes or more is expected and no alternative is offered within 100 minutes of departure, you can arrange other transport and claim reasonable costs. Keep your receipts.
• November 10–12: Avoid planning a standby trip into Spain that depends on a same-day train. Allow extra time to reach airports, as metro and rail links may run reduced service on November 11.
• Insurance: Strike cover usually applies only if the policy was bought before the general strike was announced on October 7. Check your policy wording.
• US citizens can enroll in STEP; Canadians can use Registration of Canadians Abroad.

Sources

• Telemadrid — El servicio de alta velocidad entre Madrid y Sevilla está completamente suspendido por tiempo indefinido (Oct. 31, 2026)
• Andalucía Información — ¿Qué trenes siguen funcionando en Andalucía? La guía para viajar tras el accidente de Toledo (Oct. 31, 2026)
• Demócrata — Cuándo reabre el AVE Madrid-Andalucía tras el accidente de Urda (Oct. 31, 2026)
• Euronews — Spain observes third day of mourning as unions demand urgent action following deadly train crash (Oct. 31, 2026)
• Euronews (German) — Streik des Bahnpersonals in Spanien nach Zugunglück: Das kommt auf Reisende zu (Oct. 30, 2026)
• Majorca Daily Bulletin — Spain November general strike will cause flight cancellations and transport delays (Oct. 31, 2026)