Overview
- Rail operator Adif logged a sharp rise in cable-theft complaints in 2026 with Catalonia the hardest hit region, forcing long outages, delays and partial closures on lines such as the R3.
- The Ministry of Transport has approved an extraordinary €17 million purchase to replace 70 kilometres of stolen cable on the R3 and operators are adding private guards and more cameras to protect infrastructure.
- Regional and national officials are preparing changes to the Penal Code to create an aggravated theft subtype that would carry prison terms when infrastructure theft endangers circulation or public services.
- Law enforcement has carried out multiple dismantlings and arrests of both local repeat offenders and organized groups that store and export stolen copper, but authorities say the wave has not yet stopped.
- Thieves have expanded targets beyond rail to electric-vehicle chargers, telecom and irrigation lines, prompting trials of anti-cut fittings, forensic marking and GPS tracking while raising costs and downtime for operators.