Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
On Sunday, the theft of copper cables on the high speed rail line between Malaga, Madrid and other Andalucian major cities caused delays to train traffic.
The theft, which was discovered early in the day, caused delays of several hour on many trains, and disrupted the schedules for thousands of passengers.
As of Monday morning, 9.30am, all trains running from Malaga to Madrid (Sevilla, Granada and Malaga) were back in service.
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In a 10-kilometer radius, four cable thefts occurred.
The cables formed part of the rail line’s security system, according to Minister of Transport Oscar Puente, who has condemned the incident as ‘serious sabotage’.
He confirmed that the Guardia Civil is investigating what he described as a ‘very dangerous’ act.
The thefts sparked political backlash with opposition leaders criticizing the current government headed by socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez.
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Alberto Nunez Feijoo of the conservative Partido Popular said, “The theft of cable on the high-speed rail connecting Madrid and Sevilla combined with the blackout last week has created an image unworthy of Spain, the fourth largest economy in the Eurozone.”
Sevilla’s Mayor also expressed frustration and accused the government of mismanaging railways.
Isabel Diaz Ayuso said that since Pedro Sanchez took power, the situation has become chaotic.
The Madrid official said, “It affects the railway network which has never worked as badly. It also affects small and medium sized enterprises, birth rate, immigration and the economy.”
