High-speed trains between Madrid and Andalusia, the route most travelers take from Spain's capital to Seville, Córdoba and Málaga, are suspended until further notice after two trains collided near Toledo on Wednesday morning. Iberia has responded by capping fares at €99 on every flight between Madrid and Andalusia through Sunday, Nov. 8, and adding 520 seats to Seville and Málaga.
Latest Updates
Wednesday, 12 p.m. ET: The Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line remains closed with no reopening date. Iberia has capped fares and added seats, and Air Europa is adding a daily flight to both Seville and Málaga. At least 68 people have died in the crash, according to the latest reports, and that number is still rising.
What Happened
Around 8:55 a.m. local time on Wednesday, a Renfe AVE train heading from Madrid to Seville ran into the back of an Iryo high-speed train near Urda, in Toledo province, derailing the Iryo train's rear cars. The two trains were carrying more than 540 people. It's the second deadly high-speed train crash in Spain this year, after January's disaster near Adamuz in Córdoba, and no cause has been announced.
Spain's transport ministry has shut the line "until further notice" and asked anyone with a train ticket for Wednesday not to go to the station.
Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and the rest of Andalusia
- 520 extra seats to Seville and Málaga
- Extra Madrid–Málaga flight tonight
- Changes: 900 111 500
- No fare cap announced
- Up to two more Seville flights possible
- Book early; seats are limited
- Renfe trains run only to Ciudad Real and Puertollano
- Renfe tickets can be changed or canceled
- Iryo help: 900 001 403
What Iberia Is Doing
Iberia's cap is €99 one way in economy and €149 one way in business class, on all of its flights between Madrid and Andalusia, through Sunday, Nov. 8. With thousands of train passengers suddenly looking for another way south, that keeps a lid on last-minute prices.
The airline added 520 seats on Wednesday, about 20% more than it normally flies to the region. Most of them, 362, are on Madrid–Málaga, with the other 158 on Madrid–Seville. It's swapping in larger Airbus A321s on some flights and added an extra round trip between Madrid and Málaga on Wednesday night, leaving Madrid at 8 p.m. and coming back from Málaga at 10 p.m. Iberia says more capacity is coming in the next few days.
If your trip was disrupted by the crash, Iberia says you can change your booking by calling 900 111 500.
Air Europa is adding one extra daily flight each to Málaga and Seville starting Wednesday and is looking at up to two more for Seville. It hasn't announced a fare cap.
Why Flights Can Only Do So Much
The train is how most people make this trip. High-speed service between Madrid and Seville takes about two and a half hours city center to city center, with dozens of departures a day across several train companies.
Flying can't come close to replacing that. Before Wednesday's extra seats, there were only 23 or 24 nonstop flights a day from Madrid to Andalusia's five main airports combined, according to flight tracking data: about six to Seville, eight to Málaga and a handful to Granada, Jerez and Almería. Iberia's 520 extra seats help, but that's roughly what one or two full high-speed trains carry. Expect flights to fill fast, especially on weekends.
Other Ways to Get There
Renfe's partial service. Renfe is running trains from Madrid's Atocha station (Cercanías platform 4) to Ciudad Real and Puertollano, with departures at 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. That gets you partway south, but not to Andalusia. If you have a Renfe ticket, you can change or cancel it. Iryo has a passenger line at 900 001 403.
Bus or car. Long-distance buses from Madrid to Seville take around six hours. Driving is a little faster, at roughly five to six hours, and rental cars in Madrid may get scarce as more travelers have the same idea.
Fly into Andalusia directly. If you're coming from abroad and were planning to land in Madrid and take the train, look at flying straight into Málaga or Seville instead, or connecting there through another European hub. Andalusia's airports aren't affected by the rail closure.
It's a rough stretch for travel in southern Europe, with Naples' airport closing for all of November and Italy's Oct. 30 strikestill in play. If you're heading to Andalusia in the next week or two, book your flight early while Iberia's cap holds.
