More than 260 passengers have endured a sweltering ordeal after a train travelling from Jaen to Madrid broke down shortly after setting off on Tuesday.

The incident occurred near the town of Vilches, where the train came to a halt with outside temperatures reportedly exceeding 44C.

To make matters worse, passengers said the air conditioning inside the carriages had stopped working, turning the train into what some described as an ‘oven on rails’.

One passenger, Jose Elias Sanchez, documented the situation on social media as it unfolded, criticising what he described as a lack of information and poor communication from rail operator Renfe.

According to Sanchez, the train stopped shortly after departing and passengers were initially told it could not continue due to works on the line.

With no clear alternative offered, travellers remained stuck inside the train, unsure when – or how – they would eventually reach Madrid.

As temperatures climbed, frustration and anxiety grew among those on board. What should have been a routine journey turned into a gruelling wait in extreme heat, with many passengers complaining of confusion and a lack of updates.

The train eventually reached Madrid’s Atocha station, but only after a delay of almost five hours.

Sanchez later claimed that members of the train crew admitted the service should never have left Jaen in the first place, further fuelling anger among passengers.

Second major disruption in less than two weeks

The breakdown is the latest in a string of problems affecting the Jaen-Madrid rail connection.

Just 11 days earlier, passengers on the same route faced another major disruption when a train was forced to terminate part of its journey due to an incident near the tracks.

That service reportedly left Madrid’s Atocha station already running 45 minutes late before becoming stranded near Valdepeñas after a nearby fire interrupted rail traffic.

Passengers were told to leave the train and wait outdoors for replacement transport, with some claiming they received little information or assistance from rail staff.

Travellers eventually completed the journey by bus, arriving in Jaen in the early hours of the morning, hours behind schedule. Some passengers said they had to buy their own food and water while waiting, including supplies for children and elderly travellers.

The latest incident has sparked renewed criticism of the reliability of rail services serving Jaen, with complaints continuing to mount online as passengers call for long-term solutions to recurring disruptions on the route.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.