Oscar Puente, the transport minister, said “a serious act of sabotage” had brought some trains to a halt. Service was resuming on Monday.

Spain's high-speed trains between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia resumed on Monday after thefts of copper cables brought them to a standstill on Sunday evening, leaving passengers trapped in trains overnight and stranded at stations.

Thousands of rail passengers in Spain were hit with delays after copper cables used in the signaling system of a high-speed line traveling south from Madrid to Seville were stolen at five locations, authorities said Monday.