26,000 francs in compensation Train runs over 89 sheep in Portugal - shepherds to pay up
At dawn, a flock of sheep suddenly appears on the tracks - seconds later, a regional train crashes right into them. 89 animals die and rail traffic is partially disrupted. Now the shepherds have to pay.
25.05.2026, 21:29
26.05.2026, 06:16
dpa
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- A regional train in Portugal ran over 89 sheep lying on the tracks.
- The state network operator is now demanding 26,000 francs in compensation from the owners of the herd.
- The shepherds concerned are legally defending themselves against the claim.
A regional train has run over 89 sheep in Portugal - and an authority is demanding a total of 26,000 francs in compensation from the owners of the animals. The claim by the state rail and road network operator "Infraestruturas de Portugal" is based on damage to the train and considerable delays in rail traffic.
The accident had already occurred on 28 December 2025 in the district of Montemor-o-Velho, just under 200 kilometers north of Lisbon. According to media reports at the time, the train driver suddenly saw the herd lying on the tracks at dawn as he was coming out of a bend. Despite emergency braking, he was unable to prevent the collision. The train only came to a standstill around 540 meters after the collision.
Shepherds fight back
89 sheep died in the accident - 65 animals belonged to one shepherd and 24 to another. The collision also had a massive impact on train traffic. According to the responsible authorities, six trains were completely canceled and two more were partially canceled. In addition, 36 connections were delayed by a total of 580 minutes.
The shepherds are defending themselves against the claim. According to the newspaper "Correio da Manhã", their lawyer Vítor Gaspar spoke of an accident without intentional behavior. Such incidents are part of the general risk of rail traffic. Everything will be done to ensure that the two shepherds do not have to pay for the damage.
