ALBAWABA- A commuter train on Spain’s narrow-gauge FEVE line collided with a construction crane in the Alumbres district near Cartagena on Thursday, injuring several passengers and briefly disrupting rail services in the Murcia region.
The incident occurred around midday at kilometer point 6.6, between Alumbres and the La Esperanza area, as the train was traveling from Cartagena to Los Nietos.
According to state rail operator Renfe, the arm of a construction crane, belonging to a third-party contractor and not to the railway, extended onto the track and struck the train, shattering windows. The train, carrying approximately 15 to 16 passengers, including one person with reduced mobility, did not derail.
Emergency services reported that between three and six passengers sustained minor injuries. All were treated on site or transferred to nearby medical facilities as a precaution, and no serious injuries or fatalities were reported.
Rail traffic on the line was temporarily suspended to allow safety inspections and debris removal, but services resumed shortly afterward.
Authorities have opened an investigation to determine how the crane came to obstruct the track, focusing on possible equipment positioning errors or failures to observe safety protocols at the construction site.
The collision comes following a deadly high-speed train crash near Adamuz in Córdoba province earlier this week that killed dozens and marked the country’s worst rail disaster in decades.
A series of smaller incidents in recent days has intensified scrutiny of railway operations, maintenance standards, and construction safety near active tracks.
