Spain faced yet another railway accident on Thursday, January 22nd as a commuter train collided with a crane in the southeastern region of Murcia. Several passengers were lightly injured, according to state operator Renfe.
The incident occurred in the municipality of Alumbres, and local emergency services confirmed the collision but did not provide a precise number of casualties.
Renfe clarified that the train did not derail. Police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene, and traffic on the line connecting Cartagena and the village of Los Nietos was temporarily suspended.
This accident comes amid a week of heightened concern over rail safety in Spain. On Sunday, a collision between two high-speed trains in Andalusia killed 43 people: the deadliest rail disaster in the country in over a decade. Just two days later, a commuter train near Barcelona ploughed into rubble from a collapsed retaining wall, leaving one dead and 37 injured.
In response to these incidents, the train drivers’ union has called for a three-day strike in February, citing safety concerns for staff and passengers alike. The union described striking as
the only legal route left for workers to demand the restoration of the rail system’s safety.
