Adif has recovered circulation on the Madrid-Valencia high-speed line after completing the evacuation of water in the San Isidro tunnel, while announcing that it will investigate the causes that led to the fire, as reported this morning by the public company.

Circulation on the road has been possible at 05:00 this morning, thanks to the use of three auxiliary pumps and a team of 50 professionals who for more than a day have reduced the flooding caused yesterday by a fire in a chest that disabled the tunnel's water pumps.

This suspension affected more than 5,000 Renfe, Iryo and Ouigo travelers who were relocated to other means of transport such as shuttle trains, conventional rail trains or buses, throughout a day full of displacements on election day.

Adif has assured that it has maintained “permanent communication with the railway companies for the assessment and definition of their alternative transport plans”, while it has opened “an investigation” and has indicated that, up to now, “the causes that have caused the fire are unknown”..

The incident began on the night of Saturday to Sunday, at 03:46, when traffic between Bif. Xátiva and Valencia JS. by the accumulation of water, which reached 80 centimeters in height.

The tunnel's water table is below sea level and a “perfectly sized” pump system fulfills the function of draining the water, but when it was rendered useless by the fire, the water began to accumulate.

Adif reports in the statement that, at that time, it activated the protocol with firefighters from the Valencia City Council and the rest of the State Security Forces. Firefighters extinguished the fire at 06:05, but crews were unable to start work immediately due to accumulated smoke in the tunnel..

Once it was verified that the tunnel pumps were not evacuating water, different alternatives were activated -among them, a pump truck to remove water and the repair of damaged pumps- and finally it was decided to mount an auxiliary pump, to which two others were added throughout the day.