Thousands of people were trapped in trains or stuck overnight after the theft of copper cables stopped high -speed services between Madrid and southern Spain in Andalusia.
Authorities have opened an investigation on Monday after the theft of Sunday, which the Minister of Transport, óscar Pounet, called a “serious act of sabotage”.
He added that the theft of the cable was held in five places, all in a few kilometers apart on the high -speed line. On Monday morning, Puente said train operations were “fully restored”.
This interruption of trips comes a week after Spain and Portugal suffered an eclipse, which in a similar way saw trains stagnate. The reason is not yet known.
“Suddenly in the last two weeks – what's going on?” Kevin, a US tourist, told Reuters news agency while waiting at Atocha station in Madrid, where thousands were stuck.
More than 10,000 passengers were affected between Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Granada and at least 30 trains.
The interruption came after a long weekend in Madrid and before the Feria Weekly Festival in Seville, who sees a tributary of travelers to the city.
“The operations are already recovering completely after a very difficult night for traveling traveling … and the employees who had to react in extremely complex circumstances,” the Transport Minister said on Monday morning.
The theft locations, he said, were in areas available on forest paths.
Train services have gradually returned to normal, said Spain's national railway manager on Monday afternoon.
Earlier during the day, the Spanish Ministry of the Interior said that the country and police civil security were in contact with ADIF and other authorities to “clarify the incident and to identify those responsible.”
The price of copper has increased in recent years, and the thefts of train and telecommunications networks have increased.