BARCELONA’S Rodalies commuter rail network is slowly returning to normal service three days on from a deadly crash.
A train driver was killed and nearly 40 passengers were injured on Tuesday evening after a R4 line service came off the tracks between Gelida and Sant Sadumi, colliding with a retaining wall that collapsed onto the line following a spell of heavy rain.
The crash was Spain’s second fatal rail accident in just three days after at least 45 people died in Adamuz, Cordoba, when carriages from a high-speed Iryo service bound for Madrid crossed onto an adjacent line and collided with an incoming train heading to Huelva.
In Barcelona, services were suspended throughout Wednesday and Thursday as drivers refused to run services over safety fears, sparking travel chaos across the region.
READ MORE: BREAKING: Spain sees third rail crash in a week – six injured in minor incident
Renfe, the state train operator, said services were slowly resuming on Friday after a deal was struck with the Catalan government, the train drivers’ union Semaf and Adif, the company that manages Spain’s rail infrastructure.
Under the terms of the agreement, 13 inspection teams – each with representatives from Adif, Renfe and trade unions – carried out thorough checks on all 13 Rodalies lines overnight.
The R2 northbound line was the first to re-open on Friday morning.
Passengers using the network are warned that delays of at least 30 minutes are likely.
Around 400,000 passengers use the Rodalies network every day.
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