Travel chaos in Spain as theft delays thousands of train passengers

Travel chaos erupted across Spain on Monday as a brazen cable theft crippled the high-speed rail link between Madrid and Seville, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and delayed.

The theft, which targeted the crucial signalling system cables at four separate locations late Sunday, threw the busy route into disarray, particularly impacting those returning to the capital after the holiday weekend.

Madrid's Atocha station became a scene of confusion and frustration as throngs of travellers sought information from overwhelmed rail staff and anxiously scanned departure boards for updates.

Renfe, Spain's state-owned rail operator, urged passengers with early morning departures to delay their arrival at the station to avoid further overcrowding. The disruption underscored the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the widespread impact such targeted thefts can have on essential services.

On Monday, droves of travellers crowded Madrid's Atocha station seeking information about their trains from rail employees and screens with updated departure times. Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe told passengers with trains departing Madrid before 8 am to not arrive early to avoid further crowding.

Alberto Valero and his family had spent hours at the station by 9 am due to the delays on the train line connecting Madrid and Seville, where they were headed. Valero was on vacation in Spain from Mexico, and expressed frustration about the lack of information.

“We're here with tourists from everywhere — France, Portugal,” Valero said. “Everyone is at a loss for what to do because of the total disarray.”

The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain, Spain’s railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X.

The incident came a week after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal ground high-speed train traffic in Spain to a halt, stranding thousands of passengers.

On Monday ts was revealed the Spanish electricity grid suffered a first power generation outage 19 seconds before the blackout, according to Energy Minister Sara Aagesen said on Monday.

The grid resisted that first outage but two subsequent ones moments later in Southwestern Spain brought the grid to a standstill, she said in an interview on state TV channel.

She said Red Electrica is still investigating what happened on Monday when a massive general blackout hit most of Spain and Portugal.