Transport exempts driving limits for buses following the Urda accident

The General Directorate of Road and Rail Transport, under the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has temporarily exempted bus drivers serving the rail closure between Madrid and Andalusia caused by the Urda (Toledo) accident from complying with European driving and rest time regulations. The measure is formalized in the Resolution of November 5, 2026, published in the Official State Gazette no. 279, of November 9, 2026 (reference BOE-A-2026-23486, Sec. III, pages 151200-151201). The exception is supported by Article 14.2 of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, which allows Member States to establish temporary exceptions for up to thirty days in urgent cases, with immediate notification to the European Commission.

The accident that triggered the exception

On October 28, 2026, a serious railway accident occurred at kilometer point 118 of line 14-010 Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes-Sevilla Santa Justa, near the town of Urda. According to the account in Royal Decree-Law 32/2026, of November 3 (BOE-A-2026-23104), AVE train 2080 from Renfe Viajeros SME SE, with 397 passengers, collided from behind with Iryo train 6076, operated by ILSA, with 147 passengers; the impact caused the derailment and crushing of four rear carriages of the Iryo and the death of 69 people, in addition to more than 100 injured.

The accident immediately interrupted rail connections between Madrid and Andalusia. To guarantee the mobility of affected travelers, bus services were implemented to cover the alternative transport plans designed by the rail operators, and regular road passenger lines connecting the affected provinces were reinforced. The resolution considers that this situation constitutes “an urgent case” as provided for in Article 14.2 of the community regulation.

Which limits are replaced and by how much

The regulation exempts the affected passenger transport operations from complying with five provisions of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006, with these new limits:

• Article 6.1: the daily driving limit increases from 9 to 11 hours.
• Article 6.2: the weekly limit increases from 56 to 60 hours.
• Article 6.3: the bi-weekly limit increases from 90 to 120 hours.
• Article 8.1: the daily rest period is reduced from 11 to 9 hours.
• Article 8.6: the start of the weekly rest period may be postponed beyond six 24-hour periods, not exceeding 12 consecutive periods.

Validity, beneficiaries, and control

The exceptions were applied from 00:00 hours on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, until 23:59 on Sunday, November 1, 2026, and benefited drivers who participated in the alternative plans of the railway operators —Renfe, Iryo, or OUIGO— or those who reinforced the regular lines connecting the affected provinces.

Operators wishing to avail themselves of the exemption must communicate the license plates of the vehicles used to the ministry’s Sub-Directorate General for Road and Rail Transport Inspection, via the email sgi.tcyf@transportes.gob.es; this body maintains a registry of the vehicles. An administrative appeal may be filed against the resolution before the General Secretariat for Land Transport within one month from the day following its publication, in accordance with articles 121 and 122 of Law 39/2015, of October 1. The text is signed by the Director General for Road and Rail Transport, Elena María Atance Herreros.

Why it matters

The decision affects road safety and the working conditions of the drivers who maintain mobility by road between the peninsular center and Andalusia while the high-speed line remains interrupted. The exceptional framework allows for extended working days and shorter rest periods, but limits the validity to five days and requires the identification of each bus for subsequent Inspection control.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 279, November 9, 2026, Sec. III. Other provisions, pp. 151200-151201 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-23486).