Renfe railway disruption strands hundreds of passengers en route to Madrid

A major breakdown on the Irixo line forced Renfe to reroute trains, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded between Santiago, Ourense and Madrid. Passengers were forced onto overcrowded Avlo services, with many standing for hours and lacking basic provisions such as water.

The chaotic situation escalated at Ourense, where security staff were overwhelmed, ticket checks were abandoned and passengers were allowed to board without identification. The resulting over‑capacity trains continued to Madrid, where confrontations erupted at Chamartín station and police were required to intervene.

The incident highlighted serious lapses in compliance with European passenger‑rights regulations and raised concerns about safety procedures following Spain’s previous rail accident reforms.