NEARLY 300 passengers were evacuated after their high-speed train caught fire on the Barcelona to Madrid line on Monday afternoon.
Nobody was injured but services were severely disrupted until the late evening when a single track line was restored between Ricla and Plasencia de Jalon in Zaragoza province, Aragon.
Delays continued into Tuesday while the damaged train was removed with travellers asked to check beforehand to see if their service is running.
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— Aragón Noticias (@AragonNoticias_) October 12, 2026#ÚLTIMAHORA?? La circulación de los trenes de alta velocidad está cortada a la altura de Ricla desde poco después de las tras el incendio en la máquina de cola de un convoy del AVE con destino a Figueras.
? Los 380 pasajeros han sido evacuados y los bomberos han acudido a la… pic.twitter.com/0KLggO7DTq
Train operator Renfe said that an AVE train left Madrid-Puerta de Atocha station at 2.27pm bound for Figueres, but at around 4.05pm, a fire was detected in the tail cabin.
Following protocols, Renfe stated that 283 passengers on board were evacuated.
The Aragon government said a woman and a person with reduced mobility required medical assistance.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 13, 2026?? A HIGH-SPEED TRAIN in Spain burst into FLAMES, sending a massive column of BLACK SMOKE into the sky
The Renfe train was traveling from Madrid to Figueres when a fire broke out in its rear locomotive near Zaragoza.
All 283 PASSENGERS had to be evacuated as firefighters…
Zaragoza Provincial Council firefighters extinguished the fire, which affected the train’s engine and an adjoining area of the next carriage.
Renfe’s deputy general director, Sergio Bueno, said that train had complied with all scheduled inspections.
He added that the cause of the fire is as yet unknown.
Around 40 services were affected, impacting over 11,000 passengers, including those on stationary trains plus people waiting for hours at stations.
Renfe has promised refunds and booking transfers to travellers caught up in Monday’s problems.
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