First report on the Gelida accident: the train driver did not see the wall in time due to the darkness and rain

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 the accident at the same time that a retaining wall belonging to the AP-7 motorway was collapsing. The wall was inclined at approximately 45 degrees, encroaching on the train's path, and became embedded in the driver'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 approximately 60 kilometers per hour.

A trainee train driver who was heading into the cab died in the impact, although there were at least three other people inside, including the driver. The accident also left five seriously injured, including the driver and two other trainee trainees. In addition, 36 people suffered injuries of varying severity.

The conclusions about the causes of the accident included in this initial report are still provisional, as the final report may take up to a year, and the results 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.

This Friday, train drivers organized a floral tribute with roses and candles at Barcelona's Sants station to remember Fernando, the trainee trainee driver from Seville who died Tuesday night. Around fifty workers gathered outside the station, in Plaça Joan Peiró, for a ten-minute tribute that ended with a standing ovation.

The rains reportedly brought down the wall

The day after the accident, a CIAF team inspected the area, paying particular attention to the condition and configuration of the collapsed wall. 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 Around this time of year in the area.

The section of wall that broke off is a prefabricated L-shaped element that belonged to a pergola above the tracks on the AP-7 motorway. As the investigation progresses, the commission will also study how the wall was designed and its condition. They will also examine the drainage elements that were present at that point on the AP-7 and the interventions and inspections that had been carried out.

This Friday, Renfe personnel continued with the tasks prior to dismantling the R4 train's locomotive in Gelida. On Thursday afternoon, three of the six carriages that made up the train were removed from the site, and in the last few hours, the same has been done with two more, one of which was derailed. Thus, only the front part of the train, the part that suffered the direct impact with the fallen retaining wall, now remains on the track. The work consists of preparing the ground to begin deconstructing the train car, as well as cutting down trees and branches near the track, among other things.

Three wall inspections

From Madrid, the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, confirmed that the last inspection of the retaining wall that collapsed onto the R4 highway in Gelida was carried out in February 2025, and that this analysis "did not detect any significant issues or damage indicating any risk." Speaking at the ministry headquarters, Puente explained that the wall has been inspected "regularly and as part of a service" since 2023. He indicated that the Directorate General of Highways, through the highway maintenance and operation contracts, inspected this section three times: "two basic inspections in May 2023 and 2024, and a major inspection, carried out at a higher level, in February 2025," he stated.