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Spain's high-speed rail network has been hit by a wave of delays and breakdowns across multiple lines, affecting thousands of passengers in the past week. The worst incident stranded passengers on an Avlo train near Ourense for hours, with some reporting total delays of up to eight hours Source: EL MUNDO. The technical failures come as the Spanish Congress rejected a government decree that would have allowed state-owned Renfe to increase its debt by €671 million to buy new rolling stock Source: EL MUNDO.
Incidents were reported on several high-speed corridors. On June 25, a cable theft between Urda and Malagón in Ciudad Real caused delays on the Madrid–Andalusia line, affecting Renfe, Iryo, and Ouigo services Source: ABC. On June 23, a power supply failure between Valladolid and Segovia suspended service for several hours, with police deployed to manage the chaos at Valladolid-Campo Grande station Source: ABC. That same day, another technical issue on the Madrid–Valencia–Alicante line caused delays Source: Infobae.
Passengers described harrowing experiences. Laura Ruiz, traveling on an Avlo to Ourense, told EL MUNDO: "Llegué con ocho horas de retraso y tardaron cuatro en rescatarnos." Her train was sent to assist another broken-down convoy, then developed a wheel safety issue. Passengers were evacuated across tracks and eventually reboarded another train Source: EL MUNDO. Another Avlo to Vigo was delayed 439 minutes, with passengers finally transferred to buses Source: El Español.
“Llegué con ocho horas de retraso y tardaron cuatro en rescatarnos”
“Renfe ha anunciado a primera hora de este jueves 25 de junio que se ha restablecido la normalidad en la circulación de trenes de alta velocidad entre Madrid y Andalucía que se vio afectada este miércoles con retrasos debido a una incidencia provocada por un ... robo de cables”
“El tren sufrió varias incidencias técnicas que provocaron un retraso de más de siete horas”
On June 25, Parliament rejected the government's decree to allow Renfe to take on €671 million in new debt for rolling stock. The measure failed with votes from PP, Vox, and Junts. Junts MP Josep Maria Cruset said the government could not count on his party unless President Pedro Sánchez steps aside Source: EL MUNDO. The government lacks a budget, limiting options to finance improvements. Critics argue that underinvestment and poor maintenance are behind the recurring failures Source: El Confidencial.
“debido a una falta de suministro eléctrico entre Valladolid-Campo Grande y la bifurcación del Canal del Duero se encuentra interrumpida la circulación en el tramo de alta velocidad Valladolid-Segovia”