The incident left at least 15 people injured and reignited strong questions about the state of the Spanish railway network, while also growing political pressure for Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to provide explanations for the succession of incidents.
The accident occurred on the R4 Cercanías line, on the stretch between Sant Sadurní d’Anoia and Gelida. Ten passengers were on that train, and no injuries were reported, but the event reinforced the widespread feeling of the system's general deterioration.
The repetition of derailments in a short period of time has revived the political and social debate about the responsibility of the central government in the maintenance and control of the railway network. The combination of heavy rains and a lack of proper maintenance is creating a scenario of growing risk for passengers.
As technical investigations advance to determine the causes of both derailments, the Government faces increasing pressure to assume political responsibility and offer security guarantees. New service interruptions or preventive reviews on other vulnerable sections of the Spanish railway network are not ruled out.
According to official information, the train impacted the wall that had collapsed onto the track, causing a partial derailment. Railway circulation in the area was completely interrupted while rescue, medical assistance, and structural damage assessment tasks were carried out.
The incident occurred in the context of multiple incidents on the Catalan railway network, affected by heavy rains that exposed the fragility of the infrastructure. Technicians are now analyzing whether the wall's collapse was due solely to the rains or if there were previous structural failures, a hypothesis that is gaining weight in light of recent precedents.
Concern deepened when, hours later, a second derailment was confirmed on the same day. In this context, different sectors are calling for President Pedro Sánchez to give public explanations about the state of the system, the investments made, and prevention plans for extreme weather events.
Sector unions and user associations warned that the infrastructure has historical deficits and pointed out that recent episodes cannot be considered isolated incidents. On the stretch between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, another train derailed after an “axle came off,” according to the railway administrator. Emergency Medical Services, the Generalitat Fire Department, and Mossos d’Esquadra crews worked at the scene. Civil Protection confirmed that at least 15 passengers were injured and specified that the emergency number 112 received 28 calls related to the episode.
