Fourth train accident in Spain in under a week sparks fresh rail safety fears
A rockfall damaged a commuter train in Asturias but thankfully no injuries were reported
Yet another train incident in Spain has added to growing concerns about the safety of the country’s rail network, with four separate accidents reported in just five days.
The latest incident happened on Thursday January 22 in Asturias, where a commuter train was damaged after a rockfall at the exit of a tunnel. The train was leaving the Padrún tunnel in Olloniego, in the municipality of Oviedo, when rocks fell onto the track shortly before 5pm.
According to rail authorities Adif and Renfe, the front of the driver’s cab suffered minor damage but no passengers or crew were injured. Despite the impact, the train was able to continue its journey to Oviedo.
Rail services on the C 1 Cercanías line remain suspended between Ablaña and Olloniego as a precaution. Renfe has put an alternative transport plan in place, with road transfers operating between Ablaña in the municipality of Mieres and Soto del Rey in Ribera de Arriba.
Adif staff are working in the area to clear the track and restore normal service as quickly as possible.
Although no one was hurt in Asturias, the incident comes at a time of intense national scrutiny following a series of far more serious rail accidents elsewhere in Spain.
On Sunday January 18, a devastating high speed train crash near Adamuz in Córdoba claimed at least 45 lives after two more bodies were recovered late this week. The crash, Spain’s deadliest train accident in more than a decade, prompted three days of official mourning and a wave of grief across the country.
Just days later, another serious accident in Gelida near Barcelona left the train driver dead and dozens of passengers injured, further fuelling public anxiety about rail safety.
On the same day as the Asturias rockfall, a passenger train operated by FEVE on Spain’s narrow gauge network collided with a crane in the Cartagena district of Alumbres. Six people were treated for minor injuries following that incident.
With four accidents reported in less than a week, questions are being raised about the condition of Spain’s rail infrastructure and whether enough is being done to prevent further incidents.
Train drivers have already announced a general strike from February 9 to February 11, citing safety concerns linked to the crashes in Adamuz and Gelida.
Image: Renfe
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
