Madrid | Thousands of rail passengers in Spain were hit with delays after the cable used in the signalling system of the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville was stolen at four locations, Spanish rail authorities said Monday.

The theft, which happened late Sunday, affected dozens of trains travelling between Madrid and Andalucía, just as many people were returning home to the capital after a holiday weekend.

On Monday, Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe told passengers with trains departing Madrid's Atocha station before 8 am to not arrive early to avoid crowding. The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain, Spain's railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X.

The incident came a week after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal ground high-speed train traffic to a halt, stranding thousands of train passengers.