In Spain today, Monday, January 20, two Rodalies commuter trains derailed in Catalonia amidst Storm Harry: around thirty people were injured and a train driver died.

 

Los bomberos de la Generalitat de Cataluña trabajan en las tareas de restauración de las vías tras el descarrilamiento de un tren en Gelida, Barcelona. / Red social X

The first train hit a rock in Girona, while the second collided with a wall in the province of Barcelona.

Amidst Storm Harry, and with the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issuing a red alert for the Girona area, two train incidents have occurred. The most serious incident took place between the municipalities of Gélida and Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, in the province of Barcelona, ​​where a train on the R4 line derailed after a wall collapsed onto the tracks. So far, 36 people have been injured and one person has died. The person who lost their life, as reported by Catalunya Ràdio, was the train driver.

Meanwhile, the official account of Civil Protection in Catalonia indicates that the Medical Emergency System (SEM) has been deployed to the accident site to attend to those affected. This service has activated 20 ambulances. 38 fire crews from the Catalan regional government have also been dispatched to the scene, with 71 personnel on the ground, in addition to the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police). Train services on the Rodalies network have been suspended "until further notice" due to the storm.

Descarrilan dos trenes de Rodalies en Cataluña en plena borrasca Harry

Following the accident, Civil Protection activated the Ferrrocat plan on the R4 line, which is dedicated to emergency response in passenger transport. By 10 PM, the 112 emergency service had received 28 calls related to the derailment. Nearby hospitals are "ready," according to Civil Protection on X (formerly Twitter), to treat the injured, three of whom are in serious condition. One of them had been trapped inside a train car, and firefighters carried out maneuvers to extract him.

The second incident has paralyzed train services on the Rodalies network between the Maçanet Massanes and Tordera stations in the province of Girona. This was due to the presence of rocks on the tracks, which caused the derailment of one of the trains operating on the R1 line. According to La Vanguardia, the train derailed between Blanes and Maçanet after hitting a rock, causing it to lose an axle. Ten passengers were on board the train, and no injuries have been reported.

All passengers have now been rescued: five are in serious condition.

The operations center, according to Catalan media outlets, has been set up at the football field in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, a town south of Gelida and just 12 kilometers from the accident site. Renfe is currently managing an alternative bus service due to the disruption of commuter train services. The train, on the R4 commuter line, had departed from Sant Vicenç de Calders heading towards Barcelona.

Regarding the injured, the Catalan emergency services report via X that 36 people were affected by the derailment. Of these, five are in serious condition, two of them at Bellvitge Hospital, one at Vall d'Hebron, one at Mútua Terrassa, and another at Moises Broggi Hospital. Six other passengers from the Line 4 train are in less serious condition: two at Moises Broggi Hospital, two at Camils ​​Hospital, one at Broggi, and another at Bellvitge. Another 26 passengers treated by the SEM (Catalan Emergency Medical Service) are in mild condition, some located at Vilafranca Hospital (8), Martorell Hospital (8), and Broggi Hospital (1).

According to the fire chief deployed to the area, Claudi Gallardo, a meeting point for families has been set up at the Casablanca Urbanization Civic Center, at 2 Moreres Street, to provide information on the condition of their relatives. The fire chief also reported that most of the injured were in the first carriages. However, they have all now been rescued. Currently, efforts are focused on securing the collapsed wall and inspecting it. Catalan Authorities Arrive in Gelida Following Train Derailment

Trabajos de los equipos de rescate en el lugar del suceso, a 20 de enero de 2026 en Gelida, Barcelona, Catalunya (España). / Lorena Sopêna - Europa Press

While no fatalities had yet been confirmed in the accident in Gelida, near Barcelona, ​​various Catalan authorities traveled to the scene. The Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition and spokesperson for the Catalan Government, Sílvia Paneque, and the Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, went to the Catalan town. Meanwhile, the mayor of Gelida, Lluís Valls, told Catalunya Ràdio before the death of the train driver was confirmed that there could be between 20 and 40 injured. More political reactions are appearing on social media. One of them is from the central government's delegate in Catalonia, who is also traveling to the operations center.

According to Albert Dalmau, Minister of the Presidency, who is acting as president during Salvador Illa's hospitalization, the ministers went there "to follow firsthand the evolution of the situation and the deployment of emergency services on the ground," as detailed on his X (formerly Twitter) account.