Rail Tragedy Strikes Again: Another Deadly Train Crash in Spain

Mon Feb 02 2026 22:09:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Following a series of tragic incidents, a deadly train derailment near Barcelona has left one driver dead and dozens injured amidst severe weather conditions.

A commuter train derailment near Barcelona resulted in the tragic death of a driver and injured several others, occurring just days after another fatal train crash in southern Spain. The wall collapse, blamed on heavy rains, triggered this fourth serious incident, prompting the regional train drivers’ union to call a strike in protest of deteriorating safety conditions.

A train driver has been killed and at least 37 individuals injured, five seriously, after a commuter train derailed and crashed near Barcelona just two days following a deadly crash involving two trains in southern Spain.

Local officials report that the Rodalies train collided with a retaining wall that collapsed onto the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní. According to Catalonia's regional fire inspector Claudi Gallardo, all passengers have since been evacuated from the train.

The accident transpired amid heavy storms that battered northeastern Spain, prompting high alerts in various coastal areas. Rail authorities believe the wall collapsed as the train passed shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday night, causing extensive damage to the driver's cab and the first passenger carriage where most injuries occurred.

The identity of the driver was not immediately available as three trainees were accompanying him during the crash; two of these trainees are among those seriously injured. Emergency services took nearly an hour to extricate one of the survivors from the wreckage at the crash site located approximately 35 km (22 miles) west of Barcelona.

In light of these incidents, the main Rodalies commuter rail network in Catalonia was completely suspended while safety checks are conducted, with officials stressing that services would not restart until deemed safe.

Following the crash, the Spanish train drivers' union Semaf announced a strike due to the two grave incidents, highlighting a tragedy in which at least 43 people lost their lives during a high-speed train collision near Córdoba in Andalusia just days prior. The union expressed that its members are devastated and view the ongoing situation concerning railway safety as unacceptable.

Local authorities in Catalonia attribute the wall collapse to heavy rainfall following months of drought, underlining the environmental challenges that are increasingly impacting infrastructure safety.

In a related accident on the same day, another train on the Barcelona commuter network also derailed, reportedly caused by a rock dislodged by the storm. This series of unfortunate events is expected to impact approximately 400,000 commuters across the region due to service suspensions.