Overview
- A Rodalies R4 commuter train derailed near Gelida after a retaining wall collapsed onto the track during heavy rain, killing one person and injuring 37, with five in serious condition, according to Catalonia authorities and ADIF.
- Regional officials said the victim was a trainee conductor as emergency services deployed dozens of fire crews and ambulances and evacuated all passengers from the train.
- Catalonia halted its commuter rail services for safety inspections, urging reduced travel as checks continue, while ADIF imposed a temporary 160 km/h speed limit on parts of the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed corridor reported to feel “bumps.”
- Days earlier, at least 43 people died in a high-speed collision near Adamuz in Andalusia, where probes are examining a track crack and possible weld or fishplate failure, with human error largely ruled out at this stage.
- Pressure grew with further incidents, including a commuter train striking a storm-dislodged rock in Catalonia with no injuries and a separate collision with a construction crane near Cartagena that left several people hurt, as the SEMAF union called a nationwide strike for February 9–11 to demand safety measures.