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A week after the cable thefts that brought high speed services to a standstill, travellers between Madrid and Seville faced yet more frustration on Sunday May 11, as a technical issue on one train led to widespread delays across the AVE network.

 

The problems began just after midday when the 12pm AVE from Madrid to Seville broke down between La Sagra and Mora, leaving passengers stuck on board for several hours. Although service was restored around 3pm and the train eventually reached its destination, the knock-on effect was severe: eight trains on the long distance and high speed network were delayed, some by nearly two hours.

 

Renfe confirmed that delays were affecting all long distance and AVE trains running between Madrid and Andalucía. The 12pm service, which should have arrived at Santa Justa station in Seville at 2.44pm, finally pulled in more than 153 minutes late.

 

Other affected trains included a 12.05pm Alvia service to Cádiz, the 1pm AVE to Seville, a 1.10pm Avant to Puertollano, a 1.35pm AVE to Granada, a 2pm AVE to Seville, and a 2.35pm AVE to Málaga. Even a train travelling in the opposite direction, the 3.34pm service from Seville to Madrid, departed late, eventually leaving at 4.57pm.

 

The disruption coincided with the final day of Seville’s April Fair, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Santa Justa station. Many took to social media to share their anger as the waiting halls filled up.

 

This fresh wave of delays follows the incident on Monday May 5, when cable thefts at four points in Toledo province halted around thirty services and affected an estimated 10,700 passengers. That disruption also left crowds queuing outside Madrid’s Atocha station, as emergency measures were put in place to reroute trains arriving at Paseo Infanta Isabel.

 

Transport Minister Óscar Puente visited one of the affected sites last week, calling the incident “an act of serious sabotage.” He reported that several security boxes had been damaged and copper cable stolen, although the material had little market value due to its thin composition.

 

In response to the latest incident, Toni Martín, the PP spokesperson in the Andalusian Parliament, criticised the government on social media. He posted: “Let’s see who you blame today, @oscar_puente_. It’s not sabotage, it’s incompetence: yours, Sánchez’s, and Montero’s, who doesn’t even dare to step foot on the street in Andalucía because of what people can do to him.” 

 

 

Photo by Eduardo Rodriguez/Pexels