Thousands of passengers were left stranded overnight after copper cable thefts severely disrupted high-speed train services between Madrid and southern Spain’s Andalusia region on Sunday.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the incident as a “serious act of sabotage,” noting that the cables were stolen from five separate locations in close proximity along the high-speed rail line. The theft left at least 30 trains halted and over 10,000 travelers affected across key routes connecting Madrid with Seville, Malaga, Valencia, and Granada.
The disruption came at a critical time—following a long holiday weekend in Madrid and just before Seville’s week-long Feria festival, a major travel period.
By Monday morning, train operations were gradually being restored. Adif, Spain’s national rail operator, confirmed services were returning to normal by the afternoon, although many travelers had already spent hours—some overnight—stuck on trains or in stations.
Authorities suspect the thieves accessed the cable sites via forest trails. The Spanish Civil Guard and police are working with Adif to investigate and identify the culprits.
This incident comes just a week after an unexplained blackout disrupted train services across Spain and Portugal. Though unrelated, the back-to-back disruptions have alarmed officials and passengers alike.
Copper thefts have surged globally in recent years due to rising metal prices, making infrastructure systems like railways frequent targets.