A train that was used for the commuter service went off the rails near Barcelona on Tuesday night. This incident ended with one of the train drivers losing his life and thirty-seven passengers getting injuries of different degrees. This event was only a few days away from one of the most disastrous railway accidents that have happened in Spain in more than ten years.
From the reports of regional trains, the Rodalies train derailed after it collided with a wall between Gelida and Sant Sadurní, which is located in the Catalonia region. The wall could not hold and collapsed onto the railway track, resulting in the train’s derailment. Weather conditions were also poor hence the train accident, because, in fact, a storm that had been raining heavily in the northeastern part of the country was still going on and had already caused alerts in several coastal areas.
Normal services restored The regional fire brigade drained all the passengers off the train. Inspector Gallardo of the fire service said that the emergency workers kept going on all night making sure that none was left in the wreck.
To the scene which was around 35 kilometers west of Barcelona, the rescue services responded by sending 11 ambulances and over 35 fire brigades. The train driver was rescued after he got trapped in the coaches. The area was searched thoroughly after which the authorities later announced that it had been confirmed that no other people were hurt.
Fifty medical staff treated the injured and filed the report which stated that five were critically wounded, six were moderately injured, and there were 26 with minor injuries. The victims were transported to the Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vila Franca hospitals for treatment.
The governmental bodies released pictures taken at the site, which demonstrated the very challenging situation that the rescuers had to face as they carried out their work in the still present heavy rain and gusty winds.
Rail Services Suspended
On Tuesday, as per the Spanish rail infrastructure operator Adif, a different case was reported to them when a commuter train derailed on Barcelona’s Rodalies network after heavy rain caused a stone to become dislodged that hit an axle. The train was on its way from Blanes to Maçanet-Massanes, which is located a bit to the northeast of Barcelona. This was one more instance where nobody got injured, but train services were halted as a precautionary measure.
In the meantime, the operators have taken off all Rodalies trains from the service and are waiting for the safety tests to be done. Also, Spanish media reports say that on Wednesday morning about 400,000 passengers might be affected by the train disruption.
The train companies are waiting to hold the discussions with the government regarding the resumption of services until the safety checks are completed.
Recent Tragedy Heightens Concerns
The two train accidents in Catalonia happened two days after the unfortunate train crash in Adamuz, Andalusia, which occurred two days before. A train en route to Madrid was derailed, went along the wrong track, and hit a speeding train from the opposite direction; the death toll was no less than 42.
The consecutive accidents have again put the safety of trains in Spain under the spotlight and raised new worries as the investigation is going on under the conditions of extreme weather already existing.
