Cable Theft Disrupts Spain’s High-Speed Rail
(MENAFN) Tens of thousands of travelers faced major disruptions on Sunday night and Monday morning due to the theft of electrical cables, which plunged Spain’s high-speed railway system into disarray.
The incident severely impacted journeys between Madrid and Seville, stranding numerous passengers returning from the extended holiday weekend and Spanish Mother’s Day.
Cables were illicitly removed from four different points along the Madrid-Seville route.
This deliberate act left many heading south from Madrid unable to continue their travels.
“The economic gain from an operation like this is negligible compared to the damage it causes. I wouldn’t call it theft – I’d rather call it sabotage,” stated Transport Minister Oscar Puente during an interview with a broadcaster.
He emphasized that the thefts were not random or opportunistic. “Four cable thefts of very little value at four different locations. It's quite a coordinated action. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing because it’s an area with no cameras,” he explained, suggesting the perpetrators had in-depth knowledge of the infrastructure and security gaps.
Adding to the complications, the head of Spain’s railway operator Renfe revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that another train had experienced a “snag” that damaged the overhead line supplying it with electricity, compounding the existing chaos.
In response to the situation, Renfe urged passengers traveling to destinations such as Toledo, Puertollano, and Andalusia to avoid Madrid’s Atocha station until after 8 a.m. local time (0600 GMT).
Eventually, the company announced that services would gradually begin to operate again starting at 9:30 a.m.—more than 15 hours after operations were halted.
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