A train traveling from Guarda to Lisbon, carrying 125 people including passengers and staff, collided with a heavy goods vehicle at the Alpedrinha level crossing in the municipality of Fundão, Castelo Branco district, around 8:00 PM on Wednesday.
In a statement, IP noted that “the equipment and signaling at the level crossing were activated, with the half barriers down.”
As a result of the accident, train services on the Beira Baixa Line have been suspended between Vale de Prazeres and Castelo Novo.
By 1:00 AM today, a total of 125 personnel supported by 50 vehicles remained on-site, according to the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) website.
Following the collision, the vehicle caught fire, and the blaze spread to two train carriages, according to reports from passengers and authorities present at the scene.
The incident resulted in four minor injuries, with several individuals receiving assistance, including a firefighter, as confirmed by the commander of the Fundão Volunteer Firefighters, José Sousa.
The village of Alpedrinha experienced a night of intense activity on Wednesday, with dozens of emergency vehicles moving between the town center and the collision site.
After exiting the carriages and undergoing triage by rescue teams, passengers queued for buses to continue to their destinations or return to their point of origin.
The Fundão municipality provided buses for passengers wishing to return, while CP offered buses to transport individuals to Lardosa (Castelo Branco), where they could catch an Intercity train to complete their journey to Lisbon.
