Two people, both in their 40s, were struck and killed by a high-speed Alvia train travelling from Madrid to Salamanca (Castilla y León) on the night of Sunday 20 July.
The Salamanca provincial government confirmed to Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE that the deceased were a couple. He was 41 years old and she was 43.
According to Spanish media reports, the couple were registered in the ‘VioGén’ system following a complaint filed by her, although the risk was considered low. Spain’s ‘Comprehensive Monitoring System in Cases of Gender Violence’ (VioGén) is a risk assessment tool used by the Spanish security forces and other entities involved in fighting against domestic gender violence.
A government representative in Salamanca, Rosa López, stated that the causes of the accident are ‘still being investigated’ and that ‘no hypothesis’ has been ruled out.
The fatal collision occurred at approximately 10.45pm, approximately 300 metres from the station in the town of Castellanos de Moriscos. Passengers onboard were informed by Renfe, Spain’s national rail operator, that the train had been involved in an accident. Initially, it was thought that only one person had been hit, but the remains of a second victim were discovered later on.
Due to the severity of the impact, ‘one of the bodies was rendered unrecognisable’, prompting the need for advanced forensic methods, including dental and tissue analysis, as well as fingerprint comparison, to aid in the identification process.
The train involved was Alvia service 4909, which departed Madrid at 9.11pm and had been scheduled to arrive in Salamanca before 11pm. The train was operating along the high-speed route linking Salamanca and Madrid – a section of track that is fenced and secured.
According to statements taken from the train driver by the Guardia Civil, as the train approached the point where the accident occurred, he could see two people on the track, but ‘he doesn’t really know’ what they were doing, the government’s delegate said.
This marks the second deadly incident on this route in recent months. In March, a young woman lost her life after crossing the tracks in an unauthorised area within the municipality of Gomecello. That incident led to a suspension of the service lasting around three hours.
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🔴ÚLTIMA HORA
El Juzgado de Instrucción Número 1 de Salamanca no aprecia indicios de delito en la muerte de dos personas tras ser arrolladas por un tren Alvia de Madrid en Moriscos, Salamanca
Los detalles, con @Generaltani https://t.co/YG2YEjFBeX pic.twitter.com/Y0TfelHYLM
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) July 21, 2025
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