Spanish train drivers’ union Semaf has called for a strike after a driver was killed and at least 37 people injured when a train derailed and crashed at Gelida, around 32km west of Barcelona.
The incident comes just two days after a deadly collision between two high-speed trains at Adamuz, in Andalusia, in which at least 42 people died.
According to local officials, the latest incident occurred when a Rodalies commuter train struck a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní.
The derailment happened shortly after 20:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 20 January as heavy storms battered north-eastern Spain, with coastal areas placed on high alert due to severe weather.
Rail officials believe the wall collapsed as the train was passing, hitting the driver’s cab before causing significant damage to the first carriage, where most of the injured passengers were travelling.
The identity of the driver has not been confirmed, as three trainee drivers were in the cab at the time of the accident.
Firefighters said two of the trainees were among those seriously injured. Emergency services took almost an hour to free one of the survivors at the scene.
In a statement, Semaf said: “All members are devastated and consider this situation of constant deterioration of the railway unacceptable.”
All services across Catalonia’s Rodalies commuter rail network have been suspended while safety checks are carried out, with officials saying trains will not resume until lines are deemed safe. Around 400,000 commuters are expected to be affected.
Separately, another train on the Barcelona commuter network was reported to have derailed on Tuesday. The service, running between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, north-east of Barcelona, was carrying around 10 passengers. No serious injuries were reported.
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