Concern over whether the wall from the accident in Gelida could also affect the AP-7

BarcelonaThe day after the accident of a R4 train In the train accident that claimed the life of a trainee driver, there are still more questions than answers about the cause of the crash. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) have been assigned to investigate the case. Speaking to reporters at the scene, the head of the Catalan police station in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Eduard Barca, explained that it "will take time" to determine the exact causes of the accident. However, he admitted that the most likely hypothesis is that the rain that has fallen in the area in recent days caused the retaining wall to collapse onto the tracks. From there, several questions arise that the investigation will attempt to answer. With the injured now treated—all of whom are safe—and the body of the young train driver recovered, the priority now is to secure the area to allow for the removal of the train and the investigation, in which the train's black box will be crucial. Among the questions to be answered are whether the wall fell onto the train, or if it had already fallen onto the track before the train arrived. Barca explained that "the most likely hypothesis" is that the downpours of recent days caused a landslide that led to the wall giving way, but stressed that they must wait for the investigation. He also explained that they are trying to determine who owns the wall that collapsed—whether Adif or Acesa, which manages the AP-7—to find out if proper maintenance had been carried out and if there could be any liability. Barca also emphasized that once the train is removed, they will have to see if the wall can withstand the force, as they have seen signs of "possible instability." This is, in fact, one of the main concerns right now. The wall is currently resting on the train, and they fear that when the train is removed, it could collapse completely and cause damage to the AP-7, which passes directly above it. Therefore, the right lane remains closed for 1.5 kilometers to carry out ground stabilization work and prevent any potential damage, but Barca emphasized that the open lanes are considered suitable for traffic. The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, explained that the plan is to remove the train from the highway itself, and that this may cause traffic disruptions.

Favorable rain conditions

The leading hypothesis is that the wall collapsed due to the relentless rain, which has been pouring down for the last five consecutive days across Catalonia, including Gelida. In this municipality in the Alt Penedès region, it is estimated that nearly 90 liters per square meter have accumulated over the past five days; a figure that coincides with the readings from the official Meteocat weather station located in Sant Sadurní. This is by no means an exceptional amount of rain, although it is surprising given that it occurred in January, a month that is typically quite dry in Catalonia. Nor has it been torrential; rather, the rain has generally fallen gradually without causing any damage to the area. However, this is a case of adding insult to injury, and five consecutive days of rain have further saturated ground that is already becoming very waterlogged after several consecutive episodes of rain in recent weeks. This context is conducive to landslides or mudslides, as is believed to have occurred in the train accident in Gelida, which happened on one of the storm's peak days.