Aftermath of Barcelona commuter train crash that killed one person

(21 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gelida, Catalonia, Spain - 21 January 2026
1. Various of partially derailed train with wrecked front carriage
2. Various of inspectors and security personnel

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Vilafranca del Penedes, Catalonia, Spain - 21 January 2026
3. Exterior of train station
4. Close up of train station sign
5. Various of deserted halls and platforms
6. Close of electronic sign saying reading (Catalan): "Whenever we have more information, we will let you know. We’re sorry for the inconvenience"
7. Various of deserted platform
8. Various of stranded passengers at town’s bus station
9. SOUNDBITE (Catalan) Merce Garcia, commuter and local resident:
"I think this is bad luck. A lot of bad luck. Because a wall falling (over the train), I don’t think anything but the heavy rains were to blame. This is so sad."
10. Cutaway of commuter Enzo Keizer looking at phone
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Enzo Keizer, commuter:
"I am not surprised. Renfe (railway company) has been in decay since a few years ago. I am not much surprised. The heavy rain and landslide caught me by surprise. But this is something that was waiting to happen. Maybe they will do some reforms to stop this from happening again. What else?"
12. Mid of commuters
13. SOUNDBITE (Catalan) Dolores Sogas, commuter and local resident:
"This is very bad. They’ve spent all the money on the wrong things. This is very bad. People should go out in the streets and protest. Where is the money they spend? If (the infrastructure) was already faulty and there were complaints, they should have done something earlier."
14. Sogas seated on bench
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of people in the Catalan village of Vilafranca del Penedes were delayed or stranded as commuter rail service in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region was suspended Wednesday after a Barcelona commuter train crashed the night before, Spanish authorities said.

At least one person died in the Barcelona-area crash, and 37 others were injured as crews worked at night to complete the rescue effort.

The train hit a retaining wall that fell onto the tracks, authorities said.

The news late Tuesday of the train crash mere days after Spain’s worst rail disaster since 2013 left many Spaniards in disbelief.

"I am not much surprised. The heavy rain and landslide caught me by surprise. But this is something that was waiting to happen," said commuter Enzo Keizer.

The victim of Tuesday night’s crash was a conductor in training, regional authorities said.

Most of the injured had ridden in the first train car.

The disruptions Wednesday morning caused significant traffic jams on roads leading into Barcelona.

"This is very bad. They’ve spent all the money on the wrong things. This is very bad," said Dolores Sogas, a 71-year-old commuter.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offered condolences to those affected in the Barcelona crash, writing on X: "All my affection and solidarity with the victims and their families."

Regional authorities in Catalonia asked people to reduce unnecessary travel and companies to allow remote work while the disruptions continued.

Meanwhile, emergency workers were still searching for victims in the wreckage from Sunday’s high-speed crash in southern Spain about 800 kilometers (500 miles) away.

Three days of national mourning were underway, while the cause of that crash was being investigated.

The death toll in that crash, in southern Spain, rose to 43.

AP video shot by German Martinez

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