Barcelona, January 21, 2026 (Agencies): Another passenger train accident has shaken Spain after a commuter train derailed near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring dozens of passengers, just days after a deadly train collision in the country’s south.
Spanish emergency services said the derailment occurred on Tuesday between the Sant Sadurni d’Anoia and Gelida stations, around 35 minutes outside Barcelona, after a retaining wall collapsed onto the railway tracks. The train was carrying 37 passengers at the time of the incident, all of whom sustained injuries. At least two passengers remain in critical condition, according to state broadcaster RTVE citing medical officials.
Several rail lines across the Catalonia region were temporarily shut down earlier due to heavy rainfall, which authorities believe may have contributed to the collapse. Rescue teams were swiftly deployed to the scene to evacuate passengers and secure the area.
Catalonia’s acting president, Albert Dalmau Miranda, said on social media that all necessary resources were being mobilized to ensure the safety of those affected and to manage the emergency response.
The incident comes only two days after a major train disaster in southern Spain, where two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz in the Córdoba region. The death toll from that crash has risen to at least 42, with one person still reported missing. Investigators have ruled out sabotage and are focusing on infrastructure issues, including a reported 30-centimeter gap between rails and possible weld deterioration.
Íñigo Barrón, head of Spain’s Railway Accident Investigation Commission, said initial findings suggest the southern Spain collision was not caused by human error or signaling failures, but rather by technical and structural factors.
Spanish authorities have launched investigations into both incidents as concerns grow over rail safety amid adverse weather conditions and aging infrastructure.