A cable theft in Ciudad Real caused delays of up to an hour and a half on the high-speed line. Additionally, a train bound for Málaga was stopped in Antequera because the driver had finished their work shift.
Passengers on the AVE between Málaga and Madrid experienced a Saturday afternoon to forget. A cable theft in the signalling between Malagón and Ciudad Real, which occurred at 16:51, triggered delays of up to 90 minutes on the high-speed line connecting Andalucía with the capital. However, the last straw came when a train bound for Málaga was left stranded at the Antequera station: the driver had completed their shift and refused to continue.
The incident, reported by Adif through its official account on X, affected the track circuits and forced trains to run with delays. Although the railway administrator reported an average delay of 25 minutes, the reality was very different for many passengers. Jorge, who was travelling on a train from Málaga with an expected arrival at 18:30, stated that the delay exceeded an hour and a half. "We were told there was a cable theft and that the delay would be 'more than usual', but we weren't given details until we were 45 minutes from Madrid," he recounted.
A train stranded in Antequera due to the end of the driver's shift
While Adif teams worked to repair the fault, another train bound for Málaga faced an unexpected setback. The Alvia 02164, which was due to arrive at 20:41, stopped at the Antequera station. Passengers received contradictory messages: first they were informed of a transfer, then that there wouldn't be one, and finally that the train would make "a longer stop." The reason, according to a conductor, was that the driver had finished their work shift and refused to continue driving.
Osiris, one of those affected, denounced the situation on social media. "At 18:21 we were told we were 50 minutes delayed. Then they asked us to get off in Antequera, then said not to, and in the end the train stopped because the driver didn't want to continue. We had to wait for another one to come. It's a disgrace," she wrote. The young woman explained that Renfe staff did not offer further explanations until passengers directly asked.
This is not the first time a similar incident has occurred. In April 2024, a train was stopped in Sahagún (León) just 32 minutes from the end of the journey because the driver had completed their shift. The recurrence of these episodes raises questions about the management of schedules and shifts at Renfe, especially on high-demand days like weekends.
The cable theft extended the nightmare by six hours
The main fault, caused by the cable theft in Ciudad Real, kept the affected line closed from 16:51 until nearly 22:30. During that time, Adif provided timely updates on the repair work, but passengers reported a lack of real-time communication. "We only received an email from Renfe at 18:45 saying there was an incident, but without an estimated arrival time. We spent hours without knowing anything," lamented Jorge.
For travellers heading to Málaga, the combination of both problems resulted in a cumulative delay of over two hours. The train that was stranded in Antequera finally resumed its journey when a relief driver arrived, but the experience left a bitter taste among users. "We paid for a high-speed ticket for this. It's unacceptable for a train to stop because the driver runs out of shift time," commented another passenger on social media.
Renfe and Adif have yet to issue a joint statement regarding the incident, although industry sources suggest that the company is considering strengthening shift protocols in emergency situations. Meanwhile, those affected are demanding compensation for the delays, something that European regulations provide for delays exceeding 60 minutes on long-distance journeys.
The day of railway chaos serves as a reminder of the fragility of a service that, despite being key for the connection between Andalucía and Madrid, remains vulnerable to cable thefts and organisational issues. For the travellers who relied on the AVE this Saturday, the experience was a round trip into uncertainty.
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