MADRID (AP) — Thousands of rail passengers in Spain were hit with delays after the cable used in the signaling system of the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville was stolen at four locations, Spanish rail authorities said Monday.
The theft, which happened late Sunday, affected dozens of trains traveling between Madrid and Andalucia, just as many people were returning home to the capital after a holiday weekend.
Spain’s railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X that the high-speed train connecting Madrid and cities in the South was expected to resume service around 9:30 a.m, from Madrid and in Seville, Malaga and Granada.
Álvaro Heredia, president of Spain’s state-owned rail operator Renfe, said it expected a resumption of normal schedules by mid morning in an interview with Spanish national radio broadcaster RNE.
Droves of travelers crowded Madrid’s Atocha station Monday seeking information about their trains from rail employees and screens with updated departure times. Renfe advised passengers to not arrive too early to avoid further crowding.
By 9 a.m, Alberto Valero and his family had spent hours at the station due to train delays between 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, 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 for several hours.
