Second Train Crash in Spain: Commuter Train Derails Near Barcelona, Driver Killed

Wed Jan 21 2026 22:27:10 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A tragic train accident near Barcelona has resulted in the death of a train driver and left many passengers injured, following a second deadly crash in just days. Emergency services are currently assessing and responding to the situation, which occurred amid severe weather conditions.

A commuter train derailment near Barcelona has killed a driver and injured at least 37 other individuals, with five in serious condition. This incident follows a severe two-train collision in southern Spain just days prior, raising concerns about rail safety amid adverse weather conditions. Services have been suspended across the region's rail network.

A train driver has been killed and at least 37 people injured, five seriously, after a commuter train derailed and crashed near Barcelona two days after a deadly two-train collision in southern Spain.

According to local officials, the Rodalies train collided with a retaining wall which fell onto the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní.

Catalonia regional fire Inspector Claudi Gallardo stated that all passengers had been removed from the train.

The incident occurred as heavy storms battered north-eastern Spain, with coastal areas in the east and north-west of Spain on high alert because of the weather.

Rail officials believe the wall collapsed as the train was passing shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday evening, striking the driver's cab first and causing considerable damage to the first carriage of the train, which had most of the injured passengers.

The identity of the driver has not been disclosed. Firefighters indicated that two out of three trainees traveling with the driver were among those seriously injured.

It took nearly an hour to extricate one survivor at the scene in Gelida, approximately 35 km (22 miles) west of Barcelona.

Emergency services evacuated some injured individuals to nearby hospitals, including Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vilafranca.

Services across Catalonia's main Rodalies commuter rail network have been suspended completely while safety checks are conducted, with officials stating that operations will not resume until the tracks are deemed safe.

The Spanish train drivers' union, Semaf, has called for a strike following the two deadly crashes, which include an earlier accident near Córdoba in Andalusia that resulted in the deaths of at least 43 people.

Local authorities suspect that heavy rain following a period of drought may have caused the wall's collapse. In another incident on the same day, another commuter train also derailed when a rock dislodged by the storm struck its axle.

As a result of the suspension of the Rodalies network, around 400,000 commuters are expected to be affected.