On April 29, 2025, Spain began to see a gradual recovery of its high-speed rail and some commuter rail services following a massive power outage that had disrupted the entire country the previous day. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, announced that many train services were set to resume operations, albeit partially, as the electrical supply started to stabilize.
According to Adif, the national railway infrastructure manager, train traffic had been suspended since Monday afternoon, April 28, due to the blackout. By Tuesday morning, the power supply had reached approximately 90%, enabling a phased return to normalcy in rail services. Puente expressed optimism on social media, stating that the goal was to provide "the maximum service possible" by 6:00 AM on April 29.
However, not all lines were operational. The high-speed rail connections from Hornachuelos to Seville and the corridor from Sanabria to Galicia remained without electrical power, preventing service restoration in those areas. A further assessment of the system's status was scheduled for 10:00 AM on the same day.
Renfe, the Spanish national railway company, confirmed that connections from Madrid to several major cities had been restored. Passengers could now travel to Barcelona, Valencia, Murcia, Alicante, the Basque Country, Pamplona (with some delays), Córdoba (with bus connections to Seville), Algeciras, Granada, and Málaga. However, services to Santander, Huelva, Badajoz, Cádiz, Galicia, Asturias, Salamanca, and Logroño remained suspended.
In Barcelona, the situation was less favorable, as connections to the Basque Country and Alicante had not been reinstated. Meanwhile, commuter rail services in Galicia and Asturias were reported to be functioning normally. The Rodalies de Cataluña service was expected to operate at 60%, but it was later suspended due to ongoing electrical instability. In Madrid, commuter rail services were operating at 50% capacity, while the Valencia commuter line was functioning normally, except for the C1 line between Silla and Gandía, which lacked electrical supply.
In light of the disruption caused by the blackout, Renfe announced that all commuter trains would be free on April 29 to facilitate travel for those affected. The company stated that "no ticket will be required but there will be access controls" in place. The blackout had impacted a total of 116 Renfe trains, with significant delays in evacuating passengers. By 6:30 PM on April 28, there were still 26 trains awaiting evacuation, including 14 on the Madrid-Seville line and eight on the Madrid-Barcelona line.
The blackout, which began around 12:30 PM on April 28, had widespread effects across Spain, leading to the cancellation of all rail services, including the Metro in Madrid. The City Council activated its Emergency Plan, deploying municipal police to manage traffic disruptions, while firefighters focused on rescuing individuals trapped in elevators. Emergency health services were also put on high alert to respond to any incidents.
According to reports, the energy crisis was triggered by a sudden drop in electricity consumption, plummeting from approximately 25,184 megawatts to 12,425 megawatts within a short time frame. This unprecedented event not only affected Spain but also had repercussions in Portugal and southern France, with incidents reported in other European countries like Germany and Italy.
The Red Eléctrica, Spain's electricity grid operator, confirmed that all available resources were being utilized to restore power and investigate the cause of the blackout. Speculations arose regarding whether the incident was due to a technical failure or a cyberattack, but officials had yet to determine the exact cause.
As the situation continued to unfold, residents of Madrid and other affected regions were left grappling with the chaos caused by the blackout. Traffic lights were non-operational, leading to significant congestion, and many businesses were forced to rely on backup generators. The public transport system was heavily impacted, and citizens were encouraged to use surface public transport, which had been reinforced, while efforts to restore full service were underway.
The aftermath of this event has raised questions about the resilience of Spain's energy infrastructure and the measures in place to prevent similar occurrences in the future. As the nation moves forward, the focus will be on ensuring that such a widespread disruption does not happen again.
In summary, while the recovery of rail services in Spain is a positive development, the effects of the blackout are still being felt across the country. The situation remains fluid, and further updates will be necessary as the authorities work to restore normalcy and investigate the causes behind this unprecedented power outage.
