Driver Dies and 37 Injured After Catalonia Train Derailment

A fatal derailment on Barcelona’s commuter rail network has left a train driver dead and at least 37 passengers injured, five of them seriously, as Spain’s rail system reels from a second deadly crash in just two days.

The Rodalies train came off the tracks on Tuesday night after striking a retaining wall that collapsed onto the line between Gelida and Sant Sadurní, local authorities said. The crash happened shortly after 21:00 local time (20:00 GMT) as violent storms swept across north-eastern Spain.

Emergency services confirmed that all passengers were evacuated from the train. Catalonia regional fire Inspector Claudi Gallardo said rescue teams were able to remove everyone on board, although the damage to the front of the train was extensive.

Rail officials believe the falling wall struck the driver’s cab first before tearing into the leading carriage, where most of the injured passengers were seated. The driver’s identity has not been released, with three trainee drivers also in the cab at the time of the derailment. Firefighters said two of those trainees suffered serious injuries.

One survivor remained trapped for nearly an hour before crews were able to free them at the scene in Gelida, around 35 kilometres west of Barcelona. The injured were taken to Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge and Vilafranca hospitals, according to emergency services.

Train operations across Catalonia’s entire Rodalies commuter network have been halted while safety checks are carried out. Officials said services will remain suspended until engineers confirm the lines are safe for travel.

The incident comes just days after one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade. On Sunday, at least 42 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz in Andalusia, after a Madrid-bound service derailed, crossed onto the opposite tracks and struck an oncoming train.

In response to the two fatal crashes, Spanish train drivers’ union Semaf has announced strike action.

“All members of Semaf are devastated and consider this situation of constant deterioration of the railway unacceptable,” the union said in a statement.

Authorities in Catalonia have linked Tuesday’s derailment to extreme weather, saying heavy rainfall following months of drought likely caused the retaining wall to give way.

Storm conditions also triggered a separate derailment on the Barcelona commuter network the same day. Spain’s rail infrastructure operator Adif said: “The axle was struck by a rock dislodged by the storm.”

That train was travelling between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, north-east of Barcelona, and was carrying about 10 passengers.

With the Rodalies network shut down, Spanish newspaper El País reported that as many as 400,000 commuters could be affected by the disruption.

Image: Catalonian Fire Service