Rodalies train drivers in Catalonia are calling for a full investigation after several incidents in which falling trees hit trains during heavy rain over the past two days, according to RAC1.
Despite emergency work by Adif, around half a dozen trees fell onto tracks between Thursday and Friday, affecting several services and forcing the rescue of trapped passengers. Railway unions, including Alferro, say the preventive measures in place are not enough. They want lines with a high risk of tree falls to be closed immediately when storms are forecast.
Union sources said the trees fell in the same places where problems have happened before, which they say shows that the emergency felling of more than 10,000 trees since the fatal Gelida accident has not gone far enough. One serious incident happened on Thursday night near Ripoll, on the R3 line in Ripollès. A commuter train carrying passengers was stopped by falling trees and the passengers had to be rescued.
An emergency train sent to the scene, carrying railway staff, also hit more trees that fell within minutes. According to the same sources, that rescue train ended up with broken windows and a ruptured fuel tank. They also said neither Adif nor Renfe publicly reported those events.
On Friday morning, there were further disruptions on the R11 line, between Girona and Caldes de Malavella, in the La Selva and Gironès areas. Drivers say this stretch is especially risky because trains can travel at up to 140 km/h on curves lined with trees, and some trees are already resting on the cabling next to the tracks.
Unions are pressing for immediate use of protocols that would allow services to be stopped on high-risk lines during intense rainfall. They also want a full review of the actions taken since January, with more work prioritised where it is needed most. Neither Adif nor Renfe had commented on the latest incidents at the time of writing. For more Catalonia transport coverage, see our news page.