Travel chaos in Spain: Dozens of trains are cancelled after incident in Madrid

DOZENS of trains have been cancelled today following a train derailment in Madrid.

The affected routes include those between the capital and Valencia and Murcia, as well as multiple local services.

On Saturday afternoon, a train derailed in a tunnel between the central stations of Atocha and Chamartin.

Fortunately, the train was being moved and was empty at the time, but an investigation is underway.

It came after a person threatened to take their own life in an ‘unauthorised area’ on the same day.

The incidents caused the suspension of the AVE, Avlo, Avant services and the C3, C4, C5 and C7 lines.

But the derailment is still causing issues today, with Renfe cancelling at least 19 routes.

Some 18 of these are between Chamartin and Valencia and vice versa, while another is between Murcia and Madrid.

Budget rival Iryo, meanwhile, has announced that all its trains to Valencia will depart from Atocha Madrid and vice versa.

For the Madrid-Alicante and Alicante-Madrid routes, the company has chartered buses that will depart from Mendez Alvaro and the Alicante bus station.

Ouigo, another train company, has suspended at least six trains. The affected routes will be those that depart and arrive from Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Murcia, Cuenca, Valladolid, Albacete and Segovia, as they are all operated from Madrid Chamartin station.

It added that there may also be delays and changes in schedules for operational trains, following the derailment of an empty train during a manoeuvre inside the tunnel on Saturday afternoon.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their journey before travelling.