Nine hours from Seville to Madrid: the rail detour after Spain's AVE shutdown

A trip that used to take about two and a half hours now takes nine, if nothing goes wrong. That is what travellers face on the only rail route left between Seville and Madrid, a week after the Urda crash.

What happened?

The AVE (Spain's high-speed rail) line between the two cities is closed after the Urda (Toledo) accident, in which 69 passengers died. It will reopen within 10 days at most once the judicial authority allows reconstruction work to begin.

Until then, Renfe (Spain's state rail operator) offers a detour through Extremadura, from south to north. Flights are the alternative, and their prices have shot up.

The first stretch is not even by rail. From Seville to Zafra (Badajoz) it is 137 kilometres by bus, because that section of track has been under renovation since 19 September. Renfe said the work would end on 20 October, but the replacement bus is still running.

What is the journey like?

Our reporter left Seville at 11.54, four minutes late, on a half-empty bus with about 20 passengers, mostly foreigners. The bus reached Zafra at 13.40, and the train to Madrid left at 14.21.

It is a regional train with no cafeteria, only vending machines, and it stops at Los Santos de Maimona, Tierra de Barros, Almendralejo, Calamonte, Mérida, Cáceres and more. It rattles a bit. Passengers glance at each other when the driver sounds the horn or a suitcase falls, but nobody says anything.

In Mérida the train fills up with students, backpackers, commuters and tourists heading for the airport. A couple travelling to Cáceres joked nervously about their luck. Eufremio Gómez, a 75-year-old widower from Móstoles, had already planned another train trip for January. "I go for the pure pleasure of travelling without rushing," he said.

Juan, who works in banking in Madrid, knows the line well. "It's death by a thousand cuts," he said, citing the endless stops and frequent delays. "I had no other option," he added, since his car is in the garage.

What's next?

For now, travellers between Seville and Madrid have to plan for a full day on the road or rails. Without the high-speed line, there is no faster option by train.

The reopening date depends on the court. Once it gives the go-ahead, the AVE should be back within 10 days.