When our train stopped, I didn’t think much about it, but when the voices called out to the speakers, me, me and the other 439 passengers from Madrid to Barcelona will learn what other countries already knew. “Everything in Spain has no power.”
On Monday, April 29th, at 12:33pm local time, Spanish electric grids suffered catastrophic interference (the cause of which has yet to be confirmed) that knocked out power across the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal, Andorra and parts of France. An estimated 35,000 people were suddenly trapped in a train in the middle of nowhere, not only being powered, but also from the outside world when the cell tower went dark. The metro system was shut down and more than 300 flights were cancelled as all airports were under fees. The bus continued to run, but there were reports of passengers flooding as people tried to get to where they were still available to them.
It was slowly beginning to sink, and I was in the midst of an unprecedented national emergency. What followed was one of the most confused and frustrating trip delays of my life. I arrived in Barcelona 24 hours later than planned. From a complete failure in communication to the power of strangers, I have experienced everything. Here are some lessons learned about travel when I realized I was stuck in an unprecedented emergency during the 2025 Spanish blackout.
Don’t give in to panic
Almost immediately, the train was stopped to save the remaining energy in the battery, as high-speed trains used electricity instead of diesel fuel. The cabin was warmer and the bathroom was overflowing with clean water (apparently the automatic system that turned off the water had been cut off). The train door was opened for fresh air, but we were asked by the train staff. Train staff were carting a car biker with a megaphone, but panic never happened at once.
We were a little uncomfortable, but no one was injured. At about 5pm, Spanish civil security arrived, checking out those in need of medical assistance and bringing us food and water. Ultimately we were allowed to leave the train and stretch our legs (an emergency ladder was attached to help us to beat the steep slopes we were stuck). Everyone was worried, but in the end all we could do was wait and stay calm and positive. Panic is contagious, but so is the quiet.
Don’t forget that every bad trip day always comes to an end
Whether it’s weather delays, global cyber outages, or collapse of the nation’s entire power grid, all terrible travel days have finally come to an end. With all new obstacles, it is difficult to process the heavy feelings of frustration and helplessness. However, there is much you can do to distract yourself. For example, focusing on something that has control over how you can help others. For those on my train, this meant building ramps to make it easier for seniors to walk into the field, as well as translating the latest information from non-Spanish-speaking tourists.
Get new information with a single grain of salt
Rumors can take on your own life in these situations, and you can imagine that suddenly, if you cut off from the rest of the world, people will quickly destroy. Some people said blackouts have occurred across Europe. Others jumped at the conspiracy theory of cyberattacks and solar flares. This is a powerful explosion of radiation that is sometimes emitted by the sun. But that wasn’t misinformation about the outside world that I had to worry about.
Spanish civil security said they would be evacuated to a nearby town with a bus to Barcelona. A fellow passenger said it was unlikely that the train would run again that night. Desperate to avoid the night in the darkness, I rode in one of the local volunteer cars to go to restaurants in a nearby town. Unfortunately for me, my train came back to life and left for Barcelona 30 minutes after I left. When I arrived in town, there was no bus to Barcelona as I was told. Instead, volunteers took us to the station in Zaragoza, the largest city between Barcelona and Madrid. If I had stayed, I would have been home by 3am on the original train. In hindsight, I would have waited for official sources to confirm.
People are better than we give them credit
The bad information became more intense than we had to make this journey, but the people of Salilla de Jaron, a town without a small station where our trains stopped next to it, made it much easier. A few hours after the power came out, they arrived with a jug, a bag of potato chips, a bottle of hot coffee, milk and a bottle of wine. When it got dark, the generators appeared out of nowhere to move the emergency storm lights they had brought. Our nationwide emergency has begun to look like a Spanish block party.
The only thing that warmed my heart more than the kindness of the people who helped our train was finding videos on social media that proved that our situation was not unique at all. Throughout the Spanish countryside, ordinary people flocked to stuck trains and provided as much support as possible. As Rogers once famously said, “Find a helper.” “You’ll always find people who help you.”
