Another Spanish train has crashed in Gelida, 35 km from Barcelona, killing one person and injuring 37 people, only two days after a deadly derailment and collision between two trains in the south of the country. Five of the injured in the Gelida incident are seriously hurt, authorities have said.
The Rodalies commuter train smashed into a wall that was collapsing in the midst of storms at around 10 pm local time on 20 January, the Civil Protection Agency said. The driver’s carriage is believed to have been hit first, killing him and injuring the two trainees who were with him. The scene was attended by 20 Medical Emergency System (SEM) ambulances and 38 fire units. Rescuers worked for almost an hour to free one person from the wreckage. Injured survivors have reportedly been taken to Bellvitge, Moisès Broggi, and Vilafranca hospitals.
Separately, a third train was struck by a falling rock in the same area. “The axle was struck by a rock dislodged by the storm,” according to a statement from rail network operator Adif. The regional train network has been suspended while safety checks are conducted, affecting the 400,000 commuters who use the service every day.
Durant la nit, #bomberscat hem treballat al punt de l'accident ferroviari ocorregut a Gelida per estabilitzar les plaques de formigó que feien contenció al talús i assegurar així la zona abans de fer el traspàs a @mossos.
— Bombers (@bomberscat) January 21, 2026
📹 Imatges drons de la nit. pic.twitter.com/gm4Iyz9b45
Wider disruption is now likely a result of flash nationwide strikes called by the Spanish rail union SEMAF, which had previously written to authorities warning of unsafe conditions on the Andalusian portion of track where 41 people were killed, and 159 were injured on 18 January. “All members of SEMAF are devastated and consider this situation of constant deterioration of the railway unacceptable,” the union has said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Adif has limited speeds on the Madrid-Barcelona line following a driver alert about the dangerous state of 78 km of track. The operator’s maintenance workers have since found four areas where repairs are required, an Adif statement said.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 21, 2026
Second deadly rail catastrophe has occurred in Spain within three days
In Catalonia, near Barcelona, a commuter train collided with a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks and derailed.
The train driver was killed in the crash, and 37 passengers were… pic.twitter.com/6RwaJ6Y3e6
Extreme meteorological conditions and the country’s topography may be behind some of the problems Spanish rail is facing. Much of Spain is mountainous and has geology composed of weak rock prone to fracture, such as sandstone, marl, and volcanic forms. Steep terrain that is easily eroded following freeze-thaw cycles, drought, and wildfires can see frequent landslides and rockfalls, especially when Spain’s cold drop (Gota Fría) or DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos) high-altitude, isolated, low-pressure weather systems come into play, sometimes pouring a year’s worth of rain onto barren, unstable areas in 24 hours. This is the current situation, where months of drought have been followed by heavy rainfall.
However, critics, including rail unions, accuse Spanish authorities of underfunding rail services and groundwork. “We are going to demand criminal liability from those responsible for ensuring safety in the railway infrastructure,” the SEMAF union said.
