The accident took place at kilometer point 64 of the Penedès line. The fatality was a young apprentice driver, born in 1998 and residing in Sevilla, who was traveling in the cabin with three other workers. The Bombers de la Generalitat (Firefighters) required nearly an hour to rescue one of the survivors from the wreckage of the train.
The collision, which occurred at 9:02 PM, was caused by the train hitting a retaining wall from the AP-7 motorway that had fallen onto the tracks. Authorities, including the Minister of Territori, Silvia Paneque, and the Mayor of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Pere Vernet, directly linked the accident to the intense rainfall caused by the recent storm.
“"The rain of the last few days had not been seen in the area for a long time and has been the cause of the accident."
The accident forced the total suspension of the Rodalies service across Catalunya until Adif could guarantee the safety of the infrastructure. The train drivers' union SEMAF urged personnel not to move any trains in protest over the death of their colleague. The injured were transferred to several hospitals, including Bellvitge, Vall d’Hebron, and Mútua de Terrassa.
This incident followed another minor derailment on the R1 line between Maçanet-Massanes and Tordera and the death of a resident of Fontanilles in Palau-sator, who was swept away by a stream, highlighting the severity of the storm named Harry that has impacted the region.
