Renfe trains, Madrid. Credit: Anton_Ivanov, Shutterstock
Thousands of passengers were left stranded today, May 5, after a coordinated cable theft the night before brought part of Spain’s high-speed rail network to a standstill.
The disruption affects routes between Madrid and the south of the country, including Seville and Toledo, according to reports.
Cable theft in Toledo region
The cable theft occurred late on Sunday, May 4, at four separate locations along the AVE high-speed line in the Toledo area. The stolen cables were part of the railway’s signalling system, which led to widespread delays and cancellations across the network.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente condemned the incident during an interview on Cadena Ser this morning, saying:
“I wouldn’t call it theft – I’d rather call it sabotage.”
“Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing… It’s an area with no cameras.”
He also noted that the material value of the stolen cables was minor, especially when compared to the severe disruption it caused.
Thousands of rail passengers affected by cable theft in Spain
Spain’s rail operator Renfe reported that 30 trains carrying approximately 10,700 passengers were affected by the outage. The incident hit just as many people were returning to Madrid following a long weekend and Spanish Mother’s Day.
Journalist Jesús Navarro from broadcaster RNE was one of those stranded and described a 15-hour ordeal on board a stalled train. He said, “To get the train moving, a diesel locomotive had to come and tow it to a point where it could once again receive electricity,” he said, calling it a “tremendous morning.”
Adding to the chaos, one train experienced a technical fault that damaged the overhead power line. This has further delayed operations this morning.
Renfe issued a notice advising passengers travelling to Toledo, Puertollano, and Andalusia not to go to Madrid’s Atocha Station before 8 am local time to avoid crowding. Service began to resume gradually from 9.30 am, more than 15 hours after the theft.
Despite progress, many trains remained delayed or cancelled well into the day.
Security concerns amid Spain’s recent blackout
The incident has raised questions about the security of Spain’s rail infrastructure, particularly as the targeted locations were reportedly in areas with no surveillance.
It also comes just one week after a massive power outage disrupted Spain, Portugal, and some other European countries.
No arrests have been reported so far, and authorities are continuing their investigation.
View all news from Spain.
