Alex Trelinski
A MAN in his fifties died on Thursday after being run over by a train at the Alfafar level crossing in Valencia province.
According to witnesses, the victim stumbled when he was crossing the tracks with the barriers down and, while he was trying to get up, the train passed through the area and ran over him.
The incident happened at round 10.30pm at the crossing that local residents brand as a ‘killer” with four people fatally injured at it in the last 12 months.
The Alfafar City Council passed on their condolences to the man’s family and repeated their demand demanded that the Ministry of Transport ‘buries the line underground’.
The last accident occurred in April, when a 19-year-old woman died and Thursday’s incident means there have been 77 deaths at the black spot in the last four decades.
One of the reasons for so many fatalities are very long periods of the barriers being down and pedestrians taking a chance in crossing the line.
Following April’s tragedy, the Las Provincias newspaper quoted a resident saying that people walked past the barriers ‘because most of the time they are down for more than twenty minutes’.
Residents have been demanding a solution for years over the track that in effect splits the municipality of Alfafar into two.
Campaigner, Vicente Garcia, said: “We are tired of this with the level crossing access used daily by 4,000 people- many of whom are children and the elderly due to the proximity of a school and medical centre.”
His action group has filed 720 complaints with the Alfafar City Council for danger and excessive noise and Garcia says no action has been taken by Adif- the body responsible for railway lines in Spain.
“Promises made after April’s death have not materialised and there are no extra lights or warning signs,” he added.
Disgruntled residents are now trying to get a meeting with Spain’s new Transport Minister, Oscar Puente.
READ MORE:
- Level crossing blackspot claims third victim in less than a year in Spain’s Valencia
- Drunk man using phone gets run over by train on Valencia level crossing in Spain
