Cartagena, January 23, 2026 (Agencies) – A commuter train collided with a crane near the port city of Cartagena in southeastern Spain on Thursday, marking the country’s fourth rail incident in less than a week and raising fresh concerns over railway safety.
Emergency services in the Murcia region said four people sustained minor injuries in the crash, which occurred shortly after noon. Authorities confirmed that the train neither overturned nor derailed, allowing a rapid response and preventing more serious casualties.
A spokesperson for Murcia’s emergency services said initial calls reporting the collision were received just after midday, adding that rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Spain has been shaken by a series of rail accidents in recent days. On Sunday, a high-speed train collision in the southern Andalusia region claimed at least 43 lives, triggering a nationwide debate on rail safety standards.
Two days later, a commuter train derailed near Barcelona after a containment wall collapsed onto the tracks during heavy rain, killing the driver and seriously injuring four passengers. On the same day, another collision occurred in the northeastern Catalonia region, prompting the country’s main train drivers’ union to announce a nationwide strike over safety concerns.
Spanish rail infrastructure operator Adif said rail traffic on the Murcia line was disrupted due to what it described as the intrusion of a crane into the railway infrastructure gauge, clarifying that the crane was not part of railway operations. A subsequent statement confirmed that services on the affected line were later restored.
The series of incidents has intensified scrutiny of Spain’s rail network, with unions and passengers alike calling for urgent measures to improve safety and oversight.