Cable Theft in Spain Disrupts High-Speed Rail Services

A major cable theft in Spain disrupted high-speed rail service Monday, stranding thousands of passengers traveling from Madrid to cities in the south after the holiday weekend. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Late Sunday, cables essential to the signalling system were stolen from four different sections of track near Toledo. As a result, dozens of high-speed trains between Madrid and Seville, Malaga, and Granada were delayed or halted.

Spain Faces Travel Chaos Amid Cable Theft Incident

Rail infrastructure operator ADIF announced via social media that limited service would resume by 9:30 a.m. from Madrid and major southern cities. Renfe President Álvaro Heredia confirmed that normal schedules would follow by late morning.

Meanwhile, large crowds gathered early at Madrid’s Atocha station. Many passengers searched screens for updates or asked railway staff for help, but the situation remained chaotic. Renfe urged travelers not to arrive early to reduce crowding.

Tourist Alberto Valero, who had traveled from Mexico with his family, waited several hours for a train to Seville. “Everyone from France, Portugal, and elsewhere is confused and frustrated,” he said.

Spain’s Rail Infrastructure Hit by Second Disruption in Week

The incident occurred just one week after a massive power outage brought high-speed trains across Spain and Portugal to a halt. That earlier failure also affected thousands of travelers, prompting criticism of infrastructure vulnerabilities.

Security concerns are mounting, as this latest event exposed the high-speed rail network’s sensitivity to sabotage and theft. While authorities have launched an investigation, no suspects have yet been identified.

Spain’s transportation officials now face increasing pressure to implement stronger protections for essential railway systems and prevent further service breakdowns on key travel routes.

Source: www.stuff.co.nz

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