On a recent Sunday, Spain's AVE train services between Madrid and Andalucía experienced significant disruptions, with delays reaching up to two and a half hours coinciding with the conclusion of the Feria de Sevilla.

The disruption affected nine trains operating on long-distance and AVE lines, with service resuming normal operations by early evening.

Officials from Adif, the Spanish rail infrastructure administrator, attributed the delays to a 'technical incident'.

The incident has drawn sharp criticism from members of the Popular Party (PP), who have demanded accountability from Minister of Transport Óscar Puente.

MP Miguel Tellado stated, 'What happened is not an incident; it is indecency,' while asserting that ongoing technical failures contradict claims of sabotage previously made by Puente and other socialist leaders following a similar service disruption the previous week, attributed to copper thefts along the rail network.

The Andalusian government has echoed these sentiments, with Rocío Díaz, the regional Minister for Development, declaring that the recent incidents highlight systemic failures in railway management.

She stated that the government's negligence has transformed a previously reliable and punctual service into a situation marked by frequent delays and incidents.

The statement further emphasized that the current state of the railway undermines the high standards previously set in Spain and casts doubt on the government's commitment to maintaining rail infrastructure.

Díaz noted that thousands of Andalusians are now facing daily disruptions in train travel, attributing these challenges to inadequate funding and maintenance.

In the aftermath of the disruptions, the Santa Justa station in Sevilla was overwhelmed with travelers, some of whom faced wait times of up to two and a half hours.

Notably, Minister Puente did not address the service failures on social media but instead ridiculed a protest that attracted approximately 25,000 demonstrators against the government.

Despite claims from Puente and other officials of a 'deliberate sabotage' affecting services both recently and in the past, investigations by the Guardia Civil and a local court are focusing on the incidents as cases of theft involving copper along various rail points, affecting up to 10,000 travelers last week.

Reports indicated a growing concern, with over 4,400 instances of copper theft recorded in Spain in 2024 alone, primarily impacting regions such as Castilla-La Mancha.

In response to the ongoing issues, the Ministry of Transport is reportedly developing a security plan aimed at preventing future incidents, considering options such as the installation of advanced thermal cameras with extensive reach and artificial intelligence systems modeled after those used in the AVE services in Saudi Arabia, which connect Mecca and Medina.