Train service from Madrid to Almería halts, leaving passengers stranded for extended hours; Civil Guard intervenes
In the heart of Andalusia, a series of train delays have been causing chaos and distress for passengers. The latest incident occurred on a bridge in Guadahortuna, where the Intercity 276 train, traveling from Madrid to Huercal in Almería, encountered a delay.
The train was scheduled to arrive at the Huércal-Viator (Almería) station at 15:20, but it was delayed due to a "technical incident in the traction equipment". As a result, the train was towed to the Granada station of La Alamedilla.
Passengers were left stranded for over two hours in Guadahortuna. Renfe, the company involved in the rail service connecting Andalusia with Madrid, informed passengers by SMS about the plan, but the final arrival time is still unknown. The Civil Guard distributed water and assisted the passengers during this time.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of train disruptions in Andalusia that have been ongoing since at least early August. On August 10, a technical incident on an Alvia train (Madrid-Cádiz) left approximately 427 passengers stranded for nearly three hours at Almodóvar del Río (Córdoba) before alternative transport was provided.
Earlier incidents include a broken train near Ciudad Real on August 4-5 causing delays up to three hours on the high-speed line between Madrid and Andalusia. On August 7, over 2,000 rail passengers across Andalusia were impacted by fresh delays and breakdowns on high-speed AVE services.
Structural problems in a rail tunnel between Malaga and Madrid, including water leaks and collapses, have also contributed to travel chaos. The cumulative effect of these technical failures, structural issues, and insufficient infrastructure upgrades has resulted in persistent delays across Andalusian rail services since Monday (August 4) and continuing into the current week.
Guillermo Navarro, a passenger on the stranded Intercity 276 train, commented that the Civil Guard brought water to them during the delay. The status of the train or the passengers after the delay is not provided in the available information.
It is worth noting that other rail services, such as Yrio and Ouigo, have also suffered incidents. The situation is marked by multiple overlapping problems—technical breakdowns of trains, infrastructure damage, and likely capacity constraints—that have caused frequent and extended delays affecting both high-speed AVE and long-distance services.
Passengers are advised to check Renfe's official website or contact their customer service for the latest updates on their journeys.
- The ongoing train disruptions in Andalusia, including the latest incident on the Intercity 276 train, have raised concerns about the financial impact on passengers, as many have been left stranded for hours without proper updates.
- Amidst the chaos in the public-transit sector due to repeated train delays, some are questioning the adequacy of investments in the fashion industry that could potentially generate revenue for upgrades in the transportation and rail finance sectors.
