Cable theft disrupts Spain's high-speed rail network

Monday 05 May 2025 - 13:31

By: Zahouani Ilham

Cable theft disrupts Spain's high-speed rail network

On Sunday evening and Monday morning, thousands of passengers in Spain experienced major disruptions to their travel plans when a cable theft caused chaos on the country's high-speed rail system. Cables were stolen from four locations along the rail line connecting Madrid and Seville, stranding many travelers heading south from Madrid after a long weekend and Mother's Day celebrations.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the act as more of a sabotage than theft, emphasizing that the economic benefit from such actions was minimal compared to the damage caused. "It's a coordinated attack," he stated, noting that the locations targeted were unmonitored by cameras, indicating the perpetrators knew exactly what they were doing.

In addition to the cable thefts, another train encountered a technical issue, bringing down the overhead power line and further impacting service. Renfe, Spain's rail operator, advised passengers traveling to destinations such as Toledo, Puertollano, and Andalusia to avoid Madrid's Atocha station until after 8 am local time due to the extensive delays.

By 9:30 am, more than 15 hours after the disruption began, Renfe announced that affected trains would gradually resume service. Around 30 trains carrying 10,700 passengers were halted between destinations, causing significant delays.

Among those affected was journalist Jesus Navarro, who reported spending 15 hours on a train. "A diesel locomotive was required to tow the train to a point where it could reconnect to the electricity supply," he shared, describing the ordeal as a "tremendous morning."

The chaos continued as thousands of other travelers experienced canceled or heavily delayed trains. This incident occurred just days after Spain faced a nationwide blackout, which had similarly disrupted rail services.