Renfe has warned of possible delays on the high-speed line Madrid-Barcelona after the incident recorded on Monday, October 12, when a fire in an AVE forced the interruption of railway circulation for several hours. The company has warned that the service may experience disruptions in the departures and arrivals of some trains.
The operator has enabled changes and cancellations of tickets at no cost for affected travelers. It has also indicated that it will contact them via SMS or email, through the data associated with the reservation, if their train is affected.
The fire of an AVE interrupted the line in Zaragoza
The incident occurred around 16:05 on Monday at the height of Ricla, in the province of Zaragoza. The affected train had left Madrid-Puerta de Atocha at 14:27 and was destined for Figueres, in Girona. The fire was detected in the tail cabin of the convoy.
The 283 passengers traveling on board were evacuated following safety protocols. Renfe reported that no injuries had been recorded and that emergency services intervened to extinguish the flames and allow inspection of the railway infrastructure.
The incident forced the suspension of high-speed circulation between Madrid and Barcelona and caused the stopping of trains at different stations, in addition to the cancellation of scheduled departures during the afternoon. At that time, the causes of the fire were not known and Renfe announced an investigation to clarify what happened.
Once the fire was extinguished and the necessary checks on the infrastructure were carried out, Adif began the gradual recovery of railway traffic. The resumption was not immediate: operations had to be reorganized after several hours of interruption.
According to the balance released by Renfe, the incident affected 33 trains and 12,979 travelers. Of the affected services, 18 had not been able to leave their origin stations and another 14 were stopped at different stations on the line.
The company's forecast was that, around 23:00, all trains that remained stopped at their origin stations would already be circulating. The notice published this Tuesday indicates that disruptions may still occur in some services, so travelers should check the specific situation of their train.
How to check the train status and request changes
Renfe recommends using its official channels to check if the planned service is maintained or has changes. The company has the railway information account InfoRenfe on X, in addition to its customer service channels and its website.
Travelers whose train is affected may request changes or cancellations at no cost, according to the notice issued by the operator. Renfe states that it will contact them by SMS or email using the information provided when making the reservation.
The company has not detailed in the notice which specific trains may experience delays nor how long the alterations could last. Therefore, checking the status of each service before traveling is the most useful reference for those planning to travel between Madrid and Barcelona.