AVE high-speed train services suspended in Catalonia

AVE high-speed train services have been suspended in Catalonia since 7am on Thursday morning.

The reason provided by Spanish rail operator Renfe is the theft of fiber-optic cables used to power the communications system. Earlier in the morning the company had suggested that copper wires might have been stolen, as this is a recurring problem for train and telecoms operators.

Barcelona’s Sants station is packed with passengers who were forced to get off the affected trains

AVE services have been halted between the stations of Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona) and Figueres-Vilafant (Girona). Trains departing from Madrid are also affected.

“At 10.15am we activated an alternative communication route that will progressively allow us to get the trains running again,” said Félix Martín, head of Renfe’s passenger department in Catalonia.

A total of 20 trains and 7,000 riders are affected by the incident. At around 9am, Barcelona’s Sants station was packed with passengers who were forced to get off the high-speed transportation system.

In a statement, Renfe said the problem was located between the station of Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona) and the French border.

A special bus service is being provided for passengers between the stations of Camp de Tarragona and Barcelona, said Renfe on its Twitter account.

Félix Martín said the fiber-optic cables are protected by concrete conduits on each side of the tracks, and can only be accessed by applying brute force.

The cable was found to be cut on both sides between Vilafranca and Gelida, at kilometer 570.

If trains had been allowed to have been kept running, they would have done so “blindly,” said a Renfe source at Sants station.

Spain’s AVE trains can travel at speeds of up to 310km/h.