Two Train Accidents in Catalonia in a Single Day
Under the influence of heavy rainfall, Spain’s autonomous community of Catalonia experienced two railway accidents on Tuesday, severely impacting the local Rodalies commuter train system. Both incidents were linked to landslides or structural collapses caused by the torrential rain, with one resulting in major casualties.
R4 Line Accident: Driver Killed After Crashing into Retaining Wall
The first major accident occurred on the R4 line of Rodalies in the province of Barcelona. On that day, a train traveling between the Gelida and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia stations collided with a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks due to the heavy rain. The violent impact caused the train to derail and crash into the wall.
According to Catalonia’s Civil Protection agency and the Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, the accident resulted in the immediate death of the train driver. At least 20 other passengers were injured, four of them seriously. Emergency services responded quickly, activating the railway emergency plan (Ferrocat). Approximately 15 ambulances and 11 fire crews were dispatched to the scene to carry out rescue operations.
Second Accident on R1 Line at Night: Derailment After Hitting Rock, No Injuries
Later that same night, a second incident occurred on the Rodalies R1 line, between Maçanet Massanes and Tordera (both in the province of Barcelona). A train derailed after one of its axles came off upon hitting rocks that had been washed onto the tracks by the heavy rain.
According to the railway infrastructure manager Adif, there were 10 passengers on board at the time of the incident. Fortunately, this accident did not result in any injuries. Authorities have now launched in-depth investigations into both accidents, focusing on assessing the potential threat that extreme weather poses to the safety of railway infrastructure.
