A freight train fire near Tarragona disrupted rail services on Friday afternoon, with the incident affecting traffic between Tarragona and Altafulla. Firefighters received the alert at 4.03pm and emergency crews were sent to the scene.
Initial reports placed the train at Altafulla station, although other information suggested it was near Platja Llarga in Tarragona, according to Diari de Tarragona. The train had departed from Tarragona-Classificació.
The fire started in an axle, in the bearing area of one wagon. That wagon was not carrying dangerous goods, but nearby wagons were. Officials said the contents of those wagons were not affected by the fire.
Three fire crews from Tarragona were first dispatched, then the response was increased to eight crews, with support from El Vendrell, Reus and the Emergency Region. The train driver also tried to put out the flames using onboard fire extinguishers.
Rail services were closed between Tarragona and Altafulla, affecting the R-15, R-13 and R-16 lines. Renfe arranged replacement bus services for passengers travelling between Tarragona and Sant Vicenç de Calders. For service updates, readers can check Renfe.
By 4.35pm, after the fire was brought under control, one track reopened and services began to resume. The Generalitat activated the pre-alert phase of the Transcat Plan, the special emergency plan for accidents involving the transport of dangerous goods by road and rail in Catalonia. Related local coverage is available on our news page.
