Spanish officials report that a crane arm intruded into railway clearance and struck a FEVE commuter train near Cartagena on Jan. 22, injuring six people; there was no derailment. Regional and national authorities confirmed the incident and said all injured received treatment. This event is the fourth rail-related incident in Spain within a week, coming after the deadly Jan. 18 Adamuz derailment that left dozens dead and injured.
Crane Arm Strikes Commuter Train Near Cartagena; Six Sustain Minor Injuries — Fourth Spanish Rail Incident This Week
REUTERS/Loyola Perez de Villegas MunizThe site where a commuter train collided with a crane near the port city of Cartagena in Murcia region, Jan. 22, 2026
Spanish authorities say a crane arm extended into the public railway clearance and struck the windows of a passing FEVE narrow-gauge commuter train near Cartagena in the Murcia region on Jan. 22. Six people sustained minor injuries; all were treated and officials confirmed the train did not derail.
What Officials Say
Transport Minister Oscar Puente wrote on social media that a crane arm encroached on the rail space and hit the train as it passed. Regional president Fernando Lopez Miras described the event as 'a small collision between a crane arm and a FEVE train,' noting the most important outcome was that there was no derailment and wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Emergency services corroborated the account and reported that all injured passengers received treatment.
Background: A Week Of Rail Incidents
The Cartagena collision is the fourth rail-related incident in Spain within a single week. On Jan. 18, an Iryo high-speed train traveling from Malaga to Madrid had its last two cars derail near Adamuz; those cars then veered into the path of an oncoming Renfe Alvia service. Preliminary ministry reports put the death toll from that crash at 45 as of Jan. 23, with dozens more injured. The Iryo was carrying 289 passengers and the Alvia 184, according to reporting by the Associated Press.
Two days after the Adamuz crash, a Rodalies commuter train near Gelida struck debris from a collapsed retaining wall; trainee conductor Fernando Huerta, 27, died and 37 others were injured, five seriously. On the same day, Adif reported a separate regional derailment in the Barcelona area caused by a falling rock; that incident reportedly produced no injuries.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities have opened inquiries into the recent cluster of rail incidents amid national mourning for the Adamuz victims. Officials cited preliminary transport ministry reports and media accounts from Reuters, Sky News, 20 Minutos, the Associated Press, The Guardian and Adif. Further details and formal findings are expected as investigations continue.
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