High-speed trains between Valencia and Madrid are back in operation

The circulation of trains is already running on the high-speed line linking Valencia and Madrid, after suspending service all day Sunday. The chaos that affected more than 9,000 people, since its inception in the middle of election day, raised speculation and complaints from the People’s Party, which demanded solutions and that the vote of the detained people was guaranteed to leave and enter the isolated Joaquín Sorolla de Valencia station. Alternative train and shuttle services were established and political nerves calmed down on a day of high tension.

Read also

Hector Sanjuan

Adif explained, in a statement, that service can be restored at 05:00 after the completion of water drainage tasks in the San Isidro tunnel. With this, they indicated that “three auxiliary pumps and a team of 50 specialists participated for more than a day in draining the torrents caused by a fire in a box that malfunctioned the tunnel water pumps.”

Adiv indicates that at 03:46 yesterday, traffic between the Xátiva and Valencia JS bifurcations was suspended due to the accumulation of water (up to 80 cm) on the rail in the high-speed access tunnel to Valencia, the San Isidro Tunnel, due to a fire in the manhole which affected the pumps draining the tunnel water, making it impossible to evacuate. The water level in the tunnel is below sea level and an optimally sized pumping system performs the function of draining the water.

The statement stated that at that time the protocol was activated with firefighters from the Valencia City Council and the rest of the state security forces. Firefighters put out the fire at 6:05 am. The fire created smoke in the tunnel, and immediately, it was not possible to work inside due to the high level of carbon dioxide and oxygen.

After making sure that the tunnel pumps do not evacuate the water, various alternatives were activated, including a pump truck to draw water and repair the damaged pumps. Finally, it was decided to install an additional pump. Scale boosted during the day with two additional pumps.

Adive opened an investigation, and so far, the causes of the fire are unknown.