The Catalan rail network has accumulated about ten serious incidents since 2016, resulting in four fatalities and hundreds of injuries of varying severity. The most serious accidents have mainly affected the Rodalies network, with the exception of one incident on FGC.
One of the most tragic accidents was the head-on collision between two trains in Castellgalí (Bages) on February 8, 2019, where the train driver died. The Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) determined that the cause was an erroneous switch configuration that generated a chain of human and system errors.
In the majority of cases, the trains involved belonged to the Rodalies network, accounting for four fatalities and hundreds of injuries since 2016.
A few months earlier, on November 20, 2018, one person died in Vacarisses (Vallès Occidental) when the train hit rocks dislodged by heavy rains. The CIAF pointed to deficiencies in infrastructure maintenance. Regarding FGC, in May 2022, a driver died at Sant Boi de Llobregat station (Baix Llobregat) after colliding with a derailed freight train.
In addition to the fatal cases, Rodalies has recorded other incidents with numerous injuries, such as the rear-end collision of two trains at Montcada i Reixac-Manresa on December 7, 2022 (150 minor injuries) and the crash in Vila-seca the same year, caused by a lack of brake adjustment.
