Passengers travelling between Madrid and Andalucia faced fresh disruption on Sunday after another suspected cable theft caused delays of up to an hour on the high-speed rail network.
Adif said the incident occurred between Venta La Ines and Brazatortas, affecting trains using the main high-speed corridor connecting the Spanish capital with southern Spain.
It marks the fifth suspected cable theft in just eight days, with all of the incidents concentrated in the same area between the provinces of Toledo and Ciudad Real.
The repeated attacks have prompted Adif to reinforce security along the route. Three surveillance patrols are already operating in the area, with two additional teams due to join them, alongside increased support from Spain’s security forces.
However, the measures failed to prevent another incident during one of the busiest summer travel weekends of the year.
According to sources, Sunday’s disruption caused delays of around one hour. Trains operated normally on only three days during the first part of July, with repeated faults and suspected thefts affecting services on most other days.
Two separate incidents were recorded on Friday, including another suspected cable theft that caused failures in railway signalling systems.
Adif warned that the thefts are creating technically complex problems that can lead to lengthy suspensions, passenger disruption and potential safety concerns.
Delays reached up to 50 minutes last Tuesday, while some services were held up by more than an hour on July 4.
The latest incidents follow a major disruption in the same wider area in May last year, when Transport Minister Oscar Puente described four cable thefts within a 10km radius as a ‘serious act of sabotage’.
That incident affected safety systems and forced trains travelling between Madrid and Andalucia, including services to Malaga, to operate at reduced speeds.
More than 6,300 passengers on 21 trains were affected at the time.
The latest wave of thefts has again struck during a peak holiday travel period, increasing pressure on Adif and the authorities to secure one of Spain’s most important rail corridors.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
