The railway connection between Madrid and Barcelona is progressively normalizing and Renfe estimates that all trains that had been stopped will be back in operation by 11:00 PM this Monday. The circulation has been disrupted during the afternoon due to a fire reported in the tail cabin of an AVE at the height of Ricla (Zaragoza), which was covering the route Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes-Figueres.
According to the data provided by the operator, the incident has affected a total of "33 trains," "18 of which have not been able to leave their station of origin" and "14 have been stopped at stations." In total, "12,979 travelers" have been affected, as detailed by Renfe in a statement sent to the media.
The company has stated that for the moment the causes that triggered the fire are unknown and that "it has already initiated an investigation process to clarify the facts." At the same time, it has conveyed apologies "to all affected passengers" and has emphasized its commitment to "the safety of rail transport."
The incident was detected around 4:05 PM this Monday and, following established protocols, the 283 passengers traveling on the train were evacuated from the convoy without any injuries reported.
The firefighters declared the fire extinguished by mid-afternoon, after the intervention of emergency services dispatched to the area. From that moment on and "once the state of the infrastructures was verified," "Adif has initiated the gradual restoration of circulation," which has allowed the service between both cities to be recovered.