First report on the Gelida accident: the train driver did not see the wall in time due to the darkness and rain
The driver was only able to brake five seconds before the crash, according to the vehicle's black box.
BarcelonaThe initial findings of the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) regarding Tuesday night's commuter train accident between Gelida and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia indicate that the train reached the point of impact at the same time as a retaining wall belonging to the AP-7 motorway. The wall was inclined at approximately 45 degrees, encroaching on the train's path, and "became embedded in the train's cab." Although it is a straight section of track, the report adds, the driver did not see the wall in time because it was nighttime and raining. According to data from the train's data recorder—the black box—the driver had very little time to brake before the impact. Approximately five seconds elapsed between the start of braking and the collision, during which the train traveled about 50 meters. At that moment, the train was traveling at around 60 kilometers per hour.
A trainee train driver, who was heading into the cab, was killed in the impact. The accident also left five people seriously injured, including the train driver and two trainee drivers. In addition, 36 people sustained minor injuries.
The conclusions about the causes of the accident included in this initial report are still provisional—the final report may take up to a year—and will need to be confirmed with a more detailed analysis of the train's black box data. They will also be compared with the control room records. However, the first 24 hours of the investigation lead the CIAF (Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Commission) to work on the hypothesis that the train reached the point of impact as the wall was collapsing and that the driver had no time to react.
The rains may have caused the wall to collapse.
The day after the accident, a CIAF team inspected the area, paying particular attention to the condition and configuration of the wall that had collapsed. They also inspected the section of the AP-7 motorway above the accident site, where one lane had been closed to traffic. Based on the information gathered so far, the commission believes the wall collapsed due to the force of accumulated water. Both on Tuesday and in the days leading up to the accident, it rained more than usual for this time of year in the area. The detached section of wall is a prefabricated, L-shaped element that belonged to a pergola over which the AP-7 motorway passes. As the investigation progresses, the commission will also study how the wall was designed and its condition. They will also examine the drainage elements present at that point on the AP-7 and any interventions and inspections that had been carried out.
