Wild boar halts trains in Alicante

There are often stories of wild boar interfering with road traffic, but news has just emerged of an unusual case, this time involving the Spanish railway network.

Late on Thursday, February 29, near San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, the unexpected occurred, when wildlife collided with a Renfe locomotive.

The incident occurred around the vicinity of kilometre point 438.2, where a wild boar ventured onto the tracks.

The unfortunate event led to the temporary suspension of rail services, affecting two long-distance Renfe trains: an Intercity service from Barcelona to Cartagena and a Euromed service from Barcelona to Alicante.

Immediate response to wild boar collision

Renfe sources explained that the incident happened just before 9:30 pm, when the Intercity train noticed a blow near San Vicente del Raspeig and stopped to try to clarify what happened.

In the wake of the collision, swift actions were taken to mitigate the disruption. An alternative road transport plan was promptly set up to ensure the continuity of passenger travel, illustrating the speedy response in the face of unexpected wildlife interventions.

Restoration of services and investigation

Traffic was fully restored by midnight, as confirmed by Adif, demonstrating the efficiency of the emergency protocols in place.

The Guardia Civil took charge of the investigation and, by 11:30 pm, confirmed that a wild boar was indeed the cause of the disruption. This incident highlights the challenges of maintaining seamless transport networks in areas prone to wildlife activity.

Rail services in Alicante resumed their normal schedule in the early hours of Friday, March 1, marking the end of a brief yet impactful disruption.