Adif assures AVE trains between Murcia, Valencia and Madrid are back on track
Train services between Madrid and Murcia have been restored after derailment disruptions
Adif, Spain’s national railway infrastructure manager, has announced that normal train services have resumed on the high-speed AVE line between Madrid, Valencia and Murcia. This follows the derailment of an empty train last Saturday in a tunnel between Madrid’s Chamartín and Puerta de Atocha stations, which disrupted thousands of passengers and halted services between Madrid, the Valencian Community and Murcia.
The incident caused significant delays and cancellations, affecting over 13,700 travellers, but Adif confirmed that the line has been fully restored. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Adif confirmed: “The circulation of trains on the Madrid-Levante high-speed line is back to normal.”
The statement also highlighted the reopening of one of the tracks in the tunnel between Chamartín and Jardín Botánico stations, which is part of the AVE network that links the two major Madrid stations.
One of the hypotheses being studied as to why the train derailed is that it may have been going too fast. Now, the derailed train inside the tunnel which has been there since Saturday could be there for a further five days as it is not so easy to get it out., blocking the tracks.
“If the train had overturned in the open air, it would have been easy with the cranes to raise it, put it back on track and remove it from there,” said Rafa Escudero, spokesperson for the railway union, adding that the clean-up operation is more complicated than that because “you can't put the crane in to lift it because it is in the tunnel vault”.
To mitigate the disruption caused by the derailment, Renfe, the Spanish national rail company, implemented an emergency operation plan. This involved deploying additional staff and resources at key points along the affected routes to minimise inconvenience for passengers.
Renfe has reassured customers that services will continue as scheduled, with only minor exceptions. The two early morning trains from Madrid to Murcia (06:15) and Valencia (06:30) will temporarily depart from Puerta de Atocha instead of Chamartín station. Additionally, the Alicante train that departs at 05:52 will end its journey at Atocha station at 08:14, rather than Chamartín.
Adif has also emphasised that safety protocols have been fully adhered to during the restoration process. The unaffected track within the Atocha-Chamartín tunnel has been thoroughly inspected and meets all the necessary safety conditions for the resumption of service. This means passengers can now travel with confidence between Madrid and Murcia, along with other destinations on the high-speed line.
The derailment itself did not affect the operations of the Madrid Cercanías commuter trains, and all Cercanías services have continued as scheduled since the incident.
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