Power Cable Snarl Leaves Madrid-Andalusia High-Speed Trains at a Standstill

A power cable failure halted high-speed train services between Madrid and Andalusia, stranding passengers overnight. Twenty trains were blocked, and services were suspended as temperatures soared. The network's expansion highlights vulnerabilities, with similar disruptions like a recent copper cable theft affecting the same lines.

A power cable malfunction led to the suspension of high-speed train services connecting Madrid to Andalusia, leaving passengers stranded overnight. Over 20 trains were affected, either stuck on the tracks or unable to depart, with additional cancellations announced the following morning in Madrid and southern cities such as Seville, where a United Nations conference on development financing was taking place.

The suspension occurred around 8:30 pm (0630 GMT) due to a catenary cable issue near Yeles and La Sagra, approximately 40 kilometers south of Madrid, ADIF, the state-owned railway infrastructure operator, reported. The exact cause of the failure remains unknown, leading ADIF to delay service resumption multiple times.

High temperatures exacerbated the situation for the stranded passengers, prompting ADIF to request regional emergency services' assistance. Spain's expanding high-speed network, known for its role in decarbonizing public transportation, remains susceptible to disruptions across its lengthy, sparsely populated routes. Recently, a similar copper cable theft incident halted the same line for over twelve hours.

(With inputs from agencies.)