How long does it take?
Some members here say 2 hours, but when I checked the Trainline it was 3 hours and 15 minutes...
Check renfe site for the date/ time you need--I don't see anything less than 3 hours.
The fastest trains on the current schedule take 2 hr. 55 min. Madrid to Cordoba is about 2 hours, and that's the route the Seville trains take. Perhaps that's where the confusion lies.
We just went from Seville to Madrid with one quick stop in Córdoba took 3 hours
Also, avoid Trainline and buy the ticket from the company that actually runs the train. Either www.renfe.com or www.iryo.eu with the latter being a more user friendly website (as well as nice trains).
I hereby give you permission to use Trainline for train tickets! It does charge a small fee, but it is convenient and I have found it to be very user friendly.
Thanks to all of you!