Overview

• Thieves targeted signalling cables at five locations in Toledo, halting high-speed rail services between Madrid and southern cities like Seville and Malaga.
• More than 10,000 passengers were affected, with nine trains stranded and many passengers forced to spend the night onboard without basic amenities.
• Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the theft as a 'serious act of sabotage,' citing its coordinated nature and minimal financial gain compared to the disruption caused.
• Adif, Spain’s railway infrastructure operator, has begun replacing the stolen cables, and train services are gradually resuming as of Monday afternoon.
• The incident follows a nationwide blackout last week that also disrupted rail services, increasing scrutiny of Spain’s infrastructure vulnerabilities.