Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal, Dec. 29, 2025 (Lusa) - A regional train connecting Coimbra-B and Caldas da Rainha ran over a flock of sheep on Sunday morning, killing around 100 animals on the Alfarelos branch line in Montemor-o-Velho, according to a fire brigade source.

"We were called to help clear the track and helped remove some sheep to the side of the line. The train killed 100 sheep from an even larger flock," Paulo Matos, deputy commander of the Montemor-o-Velho volunteer fire brigade, told the Lusa news agency.

Stating that he was unaware of the circumstances of the accident, namely the presence of animals on the line, he added that there were no injuries among the train passengers and that the train had to return to Verride station while the dead animals were being removed.

Paulo Matos specified that the flock was hit on a section of the railway between Verride station and Reveles halt (at kilometre 211.7), where train traffic was suspended during the morning but was restored "without restrictions" at 12:43 pm.

That section of the Alfarelos branch line serves both trains running on the Western Line, originating or terminating in Coimbra-B, and urban trains connecting that station with Figueira da Foz.

The deputy commander of the Montemor-o-Velho fire brigade noted that he had never been involved in a situation such as the one described, in which a train hits a flock: "Trains with human victims, yes, but not like this. We had already transported sheep in a fire brigade boat during the floods [of Baixo Mondego] from one side to the other, but never run over animals like this," he noted.

In addition to the fire brigade, teams from Infraestruturas de Portugal, GNR and the veterinary health authority were involved in the incident.

JLS/ADB // ADB.

Lusa