Overview

• Copper cables were stolen from five locations on the Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line, halting services and stranding thousands of passengers overnight.
• Transport Minister Óscar Puente labeled the theft a 'serious act of sabotage,' citing its coordinated nature and significant disruption caused.
• Nine trains were stranded between stations, leaving passengers without water or functional toilets, while thousands waited at Madrid's Atocha station for updates.
• ADIF, Spain's railway infrastructure operator, has largely restored services and continues replacing stolen cables to fully normalize operations.
• The Civil Guard has launched an investigation to identify those responsible, as the incident highlights vulnerabilities in Spain's critical transport infrastructure.