Puente blames the railway chaos on "sabotage" due to cable theft, but Renfe admits a train got caught in the overhead line.

High-speed lines have experienced another day of chaos in recent hours , forcing thousands of commuters to spend the night stranded on trains across the country during the May bank holiday return operation. In total, more than 30 services on the Madrid-Seville line have been affected, resulting in 10,700 passengers.

The causes, however, are varied. While Renfe reported incidents on this line in mid-Sunday afternoon via a statement and social media, caused by cable theft at several points in the province of Toledo, the company's president clarified hours later that the total chaos was actually caused by an Iryo train snagging on the overhead line, which left the trains without power.

From the outset, Minister Óscar Puente has been emphasizing what he considered a "serious act of sabotage" due to the theft of cable at four different points within a 10-km radius. Specifically, at kilometer points 92-850 and 93-600, in the town of Los Yébenes; and at points 101-400 and 102-200, in Manzaneque. "These are the line's security systems," Puente insisted.

Service communications on social media reporting delays alluded to this reason, while many commuters sought explanations for why more trains had been allowed to depart despite knowing this incident could hamper service and affect even more passengers, who would not reach their destination.

It was then that Renfe president Álvaro Fernández de Heredia clarified through his social media accounts the existence of two separate incidents. On the one hand, there was the cable theft, which took place at 5:44 p.m. and which, he explained, did allow trains to run, but with speed limits. " It meant there would be delays of about 60 minutes . This is what was known when the trains departed," he noted.

However, it was another train's entanglement with the overhead power line that caused the chaos. "Suddenly, and well after the incident, and while the trains were already running, an Iryo train got caught, dragging the overhead power line (the line that supplies electricity to the train). Resolving this issue is what halted traffic for a while, even though all the trains were already running."

The train, whose cause is unknown, was towed overnight, and the overhead lines had to be replaced to allow service to resume. The affected trains were able to resume service around 2:30 a.m., so passengers were able to reach their destinations after 3:30 a.m., although in some cases, it was not until after 6 a.m.

Renfe has made accommodation available for affected travelers, as well as special trains so that those whose service has been canceled or whose departure is delayed can reach their destination this Monday.