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Date Published: 08/01/2026

Cable thieves bring Andalucía's high-speed rail to a standstill

Signalling failure causes hours of delays on AVE lines between Seville, Cordoba and beyond

High-speed AVE travellers through Andalucía faced a frustrating start to Thursday after cable thieves struck between Guadajoz in Seville and Córdoba stations, causing hours of delays on long- and medium-distance trains.

Adif, the rail infrastructure manager, reported the theft around 12.40am and finally fixed it by 1.00pm. Even so, trains kept running irregularly afterwards as full service was restored step by step. Issues affected both tracks between Córdoba and Guadajoz, plus the line from Córdoba to the Málaga junction on track II. Trains switched to manual signal overrun authorisation (BSL) with selective bypasses on track I between Córdoba and Almodóvar, ensuring journeys continued but at a slower pace than usual.

The knock-on effect lasted for hours. High-speed services faced an average 35-minute delay over six hours, with some stretches hit harder. French operator Ouigo cancelled its Madrid-Seville train scheduled to depart the capital at 8.42am. Adif shared updates on social media, warning passengers of ongoing irregular services.

Rail disruptions are a familiar issue, but cable theft stands out as particularly disruptive. It highlights the vulnerability of critical infrastructure when essential components are stolen. Passengers travelling those routes should check Renfe or Adif apps for updates. Normal service is expected to resume soon.

You might also be interested in: Train fare war begins in Spain as Ouigo undercuts Renfe with bargain tickets

Image: wikicommons

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