The incident occurred around 3:00 PM on January 15, 2026, when a train stopped between Atocha and Mejorada del Campo, near Vallecas, forcing the closure of both tracks to allow for passenger transfers.

This situation caused significant congestion at the Madrid Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes station, where up to seven scheduled trains bound for the Catalan capital were unable to depart, accumulating substantial delays.

The delays impact trains from various operators, including Renfe, Ouigo, and Iryo, with waiting times ranging from 10 to 50 minutes. The first affected train, scheduled for 1:57 PM, had already accumulated more than an hour of delay. An Alvia train operated by Renfe heading to Pamplona is also affected by using the same section of track.