Oriol Ibàñez has used a Racó Català opinion column to argue that Catalonia's rail network needs sustained investment, citing the fatal derailment near Gelida and the disruption that followed for Rodalies commuters.

For commuters, the immediate consequence of the Gelida crash was the complete suspension of services across Catalonia's main Rodalies commuter rail network while safety checks were carried out. The BBC reported that rail officials said trains would not resume until lines were considered safe.

The column, titled The Emperor's New Clothes, compares the public response to recent rail failures with Hans Christian Andersen's tale, arguing that long-standing problems were acknowledged only after a fatal accident.

Gelida derailment and network suspension

A commuter train struck a retaining wall that had fallen on to the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní shortly after 21:00 on Tuesday 20 January 2026, according to the BBC. The driver was killed and at least 37 people were injured, five seriously.

The crash occurred during heavy storms in north-eastern Spain. Emergency services took injured passengers to Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge and Vilafranca hospitals, the BBC said.

Ibàñez also refers to the collision of two high-speed trains near Adamuz, in Andalusia, two days before the Gelida derailment. The BBC reported that at least 43 people died in that crash.

Minister cites ageing trains and external incidents

In a September 2025 appearance before Spain's Congress, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said Renfe's train fleet had an average age of more than 20 years and said a fleet-renewal plan was being prepared, RTVE reported.

“We need more trains, not only the 500 we have bought,” Puente told Congress, according to RTVE.

Puente also said incidents attributed to causes outside infrastructure manager Adif and train operators rose from 7% in the previous year to 23% in 2025. He cited heavy rain, summer fires, cable theft, power cuts and collisions involving people as examples.

RTVE reported that fire-related incidents rose from 25 in 2024, affecting 18,000 passengers, to 486 in 2025, affecting 130,000 passengers.

Column recalls Bellvitge disruption in 2007

Ibàñez also recalls the 2007 sinkhole in Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, during works on the high-speed line to Barcelona. The episode caused major disruption to commuter rail services and prompted a protest in Barcelona in December that year, according to the column.

The author argues that the events at Bellvitge and the more recent accidents show that rail infrastructure remains a central issue for people who rely on public transport in Catalonia.

Rodalies services affected by the January 2026 suspension were to remain stopped until rail officials judged the lines safe, according to the BBC.

Reported by Source Text Link, bbc.com, Sofía Soler, Núria Rius, lavanguardia.com, elpais.com, libertaddigital.com, Francesc Arroyo, Luisa Casal, france24.com, Cadena SER, 20minutos |, RTVE.es / AGENCIAS, José Rosado, Kate Hairsine Reporter and senior editor, Nina Lopez, apnews.com, Racó Català.