A tragic rail accident in Catalonia has claimed the life of a train driver and left at least 37 passengers injured, with five reported to be in serious condition, after a commuter train derailed near Barcelona. This incident marks the second deadly train crash in Spain within just days. Local officials stated that the Rodalies train collided with a retaining wall that had fallen onto the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní. Inspector Claudi Gallardo from the Catalonia regional fire service confirmed that all passengers were safely evacuated from the derailed train.
The accident took place as severe storms battered northeastern Spain, raising weather alerts in various coastal areas in the east and northwest of the country. Rail authorities speculate that the wall collapsed just as the train was passing around 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday night, impacting the driver's cab first and causing significant damage to the first carriage, where most injuries were reported. Three train driver trainees were with the driver during the incident, and two of them are among the seriously injured. Rescue teams labored for nearly an hour to extricate one of the survivors near Gelida, located 35km (22 miles) west of Barcelona, with the injured then transported to Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vilafranca hospitals.
All services on Catalonia's main Rodalies commuter rail network have been suspended pending safety inspections, with operations set to resume only once the tracks are deemed secure.
The Spanish train drivers' union, Semaf, has announced a strike in the wake of the two fatal crashes at Gelida and near Córdoba, Andalusia, where a high-speed train collision on Sunday resulted in at least 42 fatalities. This recent accident in Andalusia, one of the deadliest Spanish rail incidents in more than ten years, saw a Madrid-bound train derail, cross over, and collide with an oncoming train. In response, Semaf expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction over the repeated rail safety issues in a statement, declaring, "All members of Semaf are devastated and consider this situation of constant deterioration of the railway unacceptable."
An image shared by local police, Mossos, depicts emergency services diligently working at the scene near Gélida, reflecting the gravity of the situation.