Thousands of passengers experienced significant delays as they were left trapped on trains or stranded overnight due to the theft of copper cables on a high-speed rail line between Madrid and Spain’s Andalusia region. The incident, described by Transport Minister Óscar Puente as a serious act of sabotage, occurred at five locations within a few kilometres of each other.

On Monday morning, Puente confirmed that train operations were being fully restored after a challenging night for commuters and staff. More than ten thousand passengers were affected across major routes connecting Madrid with Seville, Malaga, Valencia, and Granada, with at least thirty trains impacted.

This disruption follows a recent blackout in Spain and Portugal, which had also caused significant travel delays. Authorities are now investigating the theft and have stated that the locations targeted were accessible via forest trails. The Spanish Interior Ministry has mobilised the civil guard and police to assist in clarifying the situation and identifying those responsible.

The surge in copper prices has led to an increase in cable thefts from railway and telecommunications networks, prompting safety concerns among officials. As services gradually return to normal, passengers hope for improved security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.