The Civil Guard is investigating the theft of copper on the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville.

BarcelonaSabotage and a breakdown on the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville have complicated travel between the Spanish capital and the south of Spain since last night, affecting at least 10,700 commuters and delaying around thirty trains. The incidents were caused by the theft of copper cables at five locations in the province of Toledo. The Civil Guard has already opened an investigation to clarify the events and identify those responsible, while Adif's legal services are drafting a complaint, according to the Ministry of Transport. By early Monday afternoon, more than 70% of service had been restored, and the forecast is to reach 100% service between 2 and 4 p.m.

Only a week after the power outage that left images of congestion in the main train stations across the country, Atocha Station has once again been the scene of crowds for this sabotage. "Due to the number of trains affected and to avoid crowding at Madrid Puerta de Atocha, passengers on trains departing for Toledo, Puertollano and Andalusia before 8 a.m. are requested not to arrive at the station until that time," InfoRenfe and Adif published in X at dawn to reduce the possibility of chaos. At 9:40 a.m., the first special train to Malaga left Atocha and service between Madrid and Toledo resumed at 9 a.m.

The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente, stated that everything points to the breakdown being the result of a deliberate act of sabotage. Puente explained in two interviews on Cadena SER and Onda Cero that whoever committed the theft "knew what they were doing," because they did it on a stretch where there are no cameras and which is also a crucial stretch for traffic during the return from the May Day holidays. He also stated that the value of the stolen cable was not very high and, on the contrary, it has caused great harm to thousands of travelers.

The Ministry of Transport has specified that it involves 150 meters of copper cable, in both directions and within a 10-kilometer radius within the province of Toledo. "It may have a very low value. Only 300 euros," they specify. Its function was to power the track's security systems, and the theft forced the trains to slow down to just 40 kilometers per hour. The People's Party (PP) has taken the opportunity to attack Puente, demanding that he appear in Congress to explain his actions, and has called for an "audit of the entire railway network."

For his part, the president of the Spanish operator, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, also explained early in the morning that, apart from the cable theft from the Madrid-Seville high-speed line in the province of Toledo, another incident occurred yesterday that added to the chaos: the "hook-up." The cable was pulled into the overhead line and damaged it.

Problems in Cercanías

Trains on the Catalonia commuter rail lines R2 Sur, R14, R15, R16, R17, and RT2 are running with delays that may exceed 30 minutes due to an incident at the Vilanova i la Geltrú station. According to Renfe, Adif technicians are working to resolve the problem.