Train Services Gradually Resume After Massive Blackout Affects Rail Network
Train travelers affected by the massive blackout that occurred around 12:30 PM on Monday can now request refunds and free exchanges for their tickets through Renfe's sales channels. According to the railway company, those looking to continue their journeys can visit the corresponding stations to be assigned to available seats while efforts are underway to restore normal operations as swiftly as possible.
Renfe has indicated that services will be gradually restored throughout the day, depending on the recovery of the electrical supply on the affected lines and sections. As of 7:00 AM, a partial resumption of Cercanías, High-Speed, and Long-Distance services has been announced starting this Tuesday following the power outage that impacted a large portion of the railway network.
The blackout began when a significant 60% of electrical energy was suddenly lost within five seconds. Red Eléctrica has acknowledged a severe loss of generation but has yet to provide details on the cause of this incident.
Since the restoration of service commenced, the Cercanías networks in Asturias and Cantabria are back in operation as of Tuesday. However, the Rodalies railway service in Catalonia remains suspended due to instability in the electric network to ensure safe train circulation. In Cercanías Madrid, service availability is currently at 50% across all lines, but line C5 will exclusively operate between Humanes and Atocha, with no service being offered initially between Pinto and Aranjuez, as well as Guadalajara and Alcalá de Henares.
In Valencia, lines C2 (Valencia-Xàtiva) and C6 are operating at 100%, while line C1 has reported a power outage between Silla and Gandía. Meanwhile, Cercanías services in Alicante, Zaragoza, Cádiz, Sevilla, Málaga, Bilbao, and San Sebastián remain suspended until further notice, alongside Avant and Medium Distance services in Andalucía and Extremadura.
High-speed trains between Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, and A Coruña, as well as those between Vigo and Santiago, are currently not running. The first Avant service from Toledo and all connections with Medina del Campo and Salamanca have also been suspended, with no circulation between Ferrol and Ortigueira or León and Guardo.
Regarding commercial services, high-speed and long-distance lines that have resumed operations from the start of Tuesday include routes from Madrid to Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, Alicante, País Vasco, Algeciras, Granada, Asturias, Santander, Córdoba, and Sevilla.
It’s worth noting that the Madrid-Pamplona line is starting service but with delays, while routes including Madrid-Huelva, Madrid-Badajoz, Madrid-Cádiz, Madrid-Galicia, Madrid-Salamanca, Madrid-Logroño, Barcelona-Alicante, Euromed, and País Vasco-Barcelona remain suspended.
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