Over 150 injured as two trains collide outside Barcelona

Over 150 people were injured, the vast majority of which lightly, after two trains collided at a station just north of Barcelona on Wednesday morning.  

The incident occurred at the Montcada i Reixac Manresa station, part of the Rodalies commuter train network, at around 7.50 am. 

Trains on the R4, R7, and R12 lines were halted in both directions during the morning as a result of the crash, but as of 10.05 am they were back running with delays.

The company activated the emergency protocol for this type of incident in collaboration with Civil Protection and the Medical Emergency System (SEM).

Eighteen ambulances were sent to the site to treat people for injuries, as well as 7 firefighter crews to help with the evacuation of the trains. 

39 people were brought to hospitals or health centers for their injuries, but there were no serious cases. There were about 1,300 passengers on board the two trains in total. 

President demands "all explanations" 

The Catalan president Pere Aragonès reacted to the incident via Twitter on Wednesday, demanding "all explanations from [operator] Renfe, [infrastructure manager] Adif and the Spanish government." 

"Improving the service in Catalonia is urgent and cannot be postponed," he added. 

Fent seguiment de l'accident de Montcada i Reixac i en contacte amb @emergenciescat per conèixer l'evolució dels ferits, a qui desitjo una ràpida recuperació. Calen totes les explicacions de Renfe, Adif i el govern espanyol. Millorar el servei a Catalunya és urgent i inajornable.

— Pere Aragonès i Garcia 🎗 (@perearagones) December 7, 2022

 

Aragonès also explained that he is following the incident and in contact with the emergency services to keep up to date on those injured, to whom he wished a "speedy recovery." 

The mayor of Montcada i Reixac, Laura Campos, called the incident "serious and surprising." 

"We have been asking Renfe for a while to move forward" with renovating the station, she explained. "Thankfully the 155 people who were hurt today only have minor injuries ... but I do think we need to highlight that what happened today is serious and surprising. 

Spain's transport minister defends rail network 

Spain's transport minister Raquel Sánchez defended the rail network and said that some incidents were unavoidable. 

"Our rail system works well, our trains work well, but sometimes we cannot avoid accidents or collisions of this nature." 

She also warned against relating the incident to the wider management of the Rodalies network. 

"What happened today is an accident, a one-off episode that has nothing to do with the work and investments we are making to improve the service." 

The Catalan government wants to transfer the management of the Rodalies network to Catalonia and asked the Spanish government on Wednesday to hold a bilateral meeting "quickly." 

Collision between train and car in Reus 

As well as the incident in Montcada and Reixac, the Catalan railway network recorded another accident on Wednesday, at a level crossing between Reus and El Morell, when a car fell onto the rail track. 

The driver, who suffered minor injuries, was able to get out of the vehicle before the train passed, while a passenger was unharmed. The fire department received a call at 12:49 pm after the vehicle left the road and fell from a height of about 5 meters. 

Trains between Vila-seca and Reus resumed on one track shortly before 2.45pm.