Trains have ground to a halt and tourists have been left stranded after the theft of copper cables caused fresh rail misery in Spain, a week after the country’s historic blackout. Almost 11,000 travellers, including many holidaymakers, were suffering the effects of mass disruption caused by the theft on Sunday (May 4) of 300m of copper cables in Toledo, south of Madrid. The chaos has also been blamed on a loss of energy caused by an issue with an overhead power line.
Officials put the number of people affected at 10,700 on Monday morning (May 5) and the number of trains at around 30. Trains were limping into Atocha Station in Madrid up to nine hours behind schedule. None were seen leaving the station for destinations south of the Spanish capital early this morning.
The chaos came after the May 1 Bank Holiday, which many had taken advantage of to enjoy a long four-day weekend.
Train operator Renfe urged high-speed AVE travellers to stay away from Atocha until 8am local time because of delays caused but by the copper theft.
It said on X: “Due to the theft of cable in the province of Toledo, trains leaving for Andalucia before 8am will be affected by considerable delays.
“Due to the number of trains affected and with the aim of avoiding congestion in Madrid Puerta de Atocha, we are asking travellers on trains leaving for Toledo, Puertollano and Andalucia before 8am not to turn up at the station before that time.”
One of the passengers affected wrote online at 4am this morning: “Dedicated to all those responsible for the fact my young daughter and I left Malaga at 8.40pm last night and 30 minutes later stopped in Antequera.
“It’s 4am in the morning and we’re still stranded in Ciudad Real without an arrival time.”
Referring to Spain’s Minister of Transport, she added: “Shame on you, Oscar Puente.”
Another angry traveller added: “It’s 5.15am in the morning. We left San Fernando near Cadiz at 6.20pm last night and we still haven’t reached Madrid.
“Today I’ve experienced the disaster of Renfe and Oscar Puente’s mismanagement. This government of useless and inept people is leading us towards ruin and disaster.”
Mr Puente said: “We have suffered an act of serious sabotage on the Madrid-Seville high speed line.
“Four cable thefts at different points within a radius of 10 kilometres, kilometer points 92-850, 93-600, 101-400 and 102-200. These are the line’s security systems.
“The impact on the trains that still have to run is going to be very serious. And we will barely have two hours from the end of today to repair it.”
He said Spain’s Civil Guard was investigating and if anyone could offer information “all possible collaboration” would be appreciated. Mr Puente concluded: “These incidents are very serious.”
Tourists were among the hundreds of people at Malaga’s Mario Zambrano Train Station waiting for news about the restart of high-speed rail services at 8.30am local time this morning.
Mike Jordan, 40, who was trying to get to Madrid with his wife Jane, said: “We’ve got no idea at the moment when we’ll be able to leave. No-one knows anything.”
Other passengers were stuck inside a train that had been due to leave at 6.10am local time for Madrid – but was yet to leave the station.
Spanish journalist Jesus Martin wrote on X: “What a week it’s been between the blackout and this copper theft.”
About 35,000 people were stranded for up to 12 hours on Monday, April 28 after a power outage hit Spain, Portugal and part of France.
