A train driver has been killed and 37 passengers injured after a commuter train crashed into a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona on Tuesday, marking Spain’s second major rail tragedy within 48 hours. The accident occurred as the country began three days of mourning for 42 people killed in a high speed train collision on Sunday.
The Barcelona area crash happened at approximately 9:02pm local time when the train struck debris from a retaining wall that had fallen onto the tracks between Gelida and Sant Sadurni d’Anoia stations, about 25 miles west of Barcelona. Emergency services said five people suffered serious injuries, six sustained less serious injuries, and 26 received treatment for minor wounds.
Claudi Gallardo, a fire service inspector for Catalonia, confirmed the train driver’s death and said all passengers had been evacuated from the wreckage. The first carriage bore the brunt of the impact, according to local reports. At least 20 ambulances and 15 police vehicles responded to the scene.
Spain’s railway operator ADIF (Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias) said the retaining wall likely collapsed due to heavy rainfall that swept across northeastern Catalonia this week. The incident forced suspension of commuter train services along the R4 line, which is used by thousands of passengers daily.
The derailment came just two days after Spain’s worst railway disaster in over a decade. On Sunday evening at 7:45pm local time, 42 people died and 292 were injured when two high speed trains collided near Adamuz in Cordoba province, southern Spain. The death toll rose to 42 on Tuesday as recovery teams continued searching the wreckage.
The Sunday crash occurred when the three rear carriages of an Iryo train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed while crossing a set of points, displacing onto the opposite track. Seconds later, a Renfe train heading from Madrid to Huelva collided with the derailed carriages, causing its first two cars to plunge down a four meter embankment.
Both trains were carrying approximately 400 passengers and traveling within the 250 kilometers per hour speed limit on a straight section of track that had been renovated in May 2025, according to officials. Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente called the incident “truly strange” and said investigators found a broken track section that might be related to the accident’s cause.
Puente emphasized that determining whether the broken track was a cause or consequence of the derailment could take weeks, warning against speculation. The Civil Guard has established offices in Cordoba, Madrid, Malaga, Huelva and Seville for families to provide DNA samples for victim identification.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the crash site on Monday and declared three days of national mourning. Flags flew at half staff on public buildings and navy vessels across Spain starting Tuesday. King Felipe and Queen Letizia were scheduled to visit Adamuz and a hospital in Cordoba where many injured patients remain.
A separate minor derailment also affected the Barcelona commuter network on Tuesday when a train running between Blanes and Macanet Massanes was struck by a rock dislodged by storms. No injuries were reported and services were suspended.
The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers has called for comprehensive inspection of the entire railway infrastructure to assess storm damage and requested suspension of Catalan commuter services until further notice. Spain’s high speed rail network is the second longest in the world after China’s and has generally maintained a strong safety record.
The Sunday collision represents Spain’s worst railway disaster since the Santiago de Compostela derailment in July 2013 that killed 79 people. High speed rail services between Madrid and several Andalusian cities remained suspended through at least Thursday as investigations continue.
