Thousands of rail passengers in Spain experienced significant delays after copper cables essential to the signalling system on a high-speed line from Madrid to Seville were stolen at five separate locations, officials said on Monday.
Spanish media said that approximately 10,700 travellers and 30 trains were impacted.
The theft occurred late on Sunday and disrupted train services between Madrid and the southern cities of Seville, Malaga and Granada – routes heavily used by those returning to the capital following the long May Day holiday weekend.
Due to high global copper prices, thieves can earn substantial profits from selling the stolen metal.
Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, called the theft ‘a serious act of sabotage’ and urged the public to assist authorities in identifying the culprits.
Posting on social media, Puente said he expected full service on the rail line would be restored between 2pm and 4pm local time. However, by early Monday morning, Renfe chief Álvaro Fernández de Heredia said that all affected services were already back in operation.
Large crowds had gathered at Madrid’s Atocha station on Monday, looking to rail staff and departure screens for updates on their travel plans.
The cable thefts happened in five different locations along the high-speed line in the province of Toledo, central Spain. The Guardia Civil police have launched an investigation.
Spain’s high-speed rail system has seen rapid growth and now spans vast areas of sparsely populated countryside.
This incident comes just a week after a nationwide power outage in Spain that brought the country to a standstill, also leaving many passengers stranded for hours on trains and metros. ALSO READ: Spanish government says ‘several more days’ needed to pinpoint cause of blackout.
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Robo de cable en el AVE: consecuencias y compensaciones de un “sabotaje” con miles de afectados y un botín escaso
🖊@SofiaLemoinehttps://t.co/L4cbiSfAAK
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) May 5, 2025
‼️Miles de viajeros se han visto afectados por el robo de cable de la línea de AVE Madrid-Sevilla
🎙️ El presidente de @Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, coincide con el primer análisis de que ha sido un sabotaje
Entrevista completa en RNE Audio 🔗 https://t.co/0KYu7OUo2W https://t.co/49honVv5F4
— Las Mañanas de RNE (@LasMananas_rne) May 5, 2025
Hemos sufrido un acto de grave sabotaje en la línea de alta velocidad Madrid Sevilla. 4 robos de cable en puntos distintos en un radio de 10 km. Puntos Kilométricos 92-850, 93-600, 101-400 y 102-200. Son los sistemas de seguridad de la línea. La afectación a los trenes que aún… pic.twitter.com/rfUpBFoiZR
— Oscar Puente (@oscar_puente_) May 4, 2025
Estamos en el entorno del 70% del servicio normalizado, con previsión de llegar al 100% entre las 14:00 y las 16:00h. https://t.co/CjwjgBDgui
— Oscar Puente (@oscar_puente_) May 5, 2025
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