Train travel dilemma

I like to add TripAdvisor forums to my RS forum. The Madrid forum has a thread about trains. An article translated from Spanish says there are buses from Madrid to Puertollano, which is about half way to Seville. It doesn't say how to get south from there, but there may well be limited train service for your onward journey.

Though it isn't very evident on their website, Renfe is honoring refunds for those affected.
TBH, even with my trip not until February, I elected to change plans and booked a flight from Madrid to Malaga.
If you have an account with Renfe, maybe there are messages there for you. I expect it is so soon after the accident that they are still trying to cope with the disaster and plans as a whole before personalizing communications.
I did a dummy booking for next week on Renfe, and trains tickets are being sold Sevilla to Puertollano.
Tickets from Madrid to Puertollano are on the selling site, but the ones that take 1 hr have a cancelation notice, whereas others are of 3 hour duration....I assume the buses.
So, it sounds like they are functioning somehow, but not sure how to tell how it affects existing reservations.
But as you may be able to cancel, look at what makes you comfortable. Alsa and Flixbuses are options, but rather an endurance test for long distances compared to the train. Flights may be affordable, depending on how much luggage you carry.

I have been watching a specialist rail forum since the accident.

Currently, and for the foreseeable future there is no rail service running north of Cordoba, with a restricted rail replacement bus service running between Puertollano/Ciudad Real and Madrid.

There are two Media Distancia trains a day running each way between Madrid and Seville via Merida/Caceres, taking 9 to 10 hours (the normal service on that route).

Trains are running between Seville and Cordoba, but Renfe/Iryo are not running RRB's from Cordoba to Puertollano and seem to have no plans to do.

Unfortunately the normal diversionary route from Cordoba to Madrid via Linares is also closed for long term engineering work.

Normal scheduled bus services are running, but are heavily subscribed with duplicate vehicles running which are reported to have no on board toilets in some cases.

Wizz Air are also running daily relief flights from Madrid to both Seville and Malaga with fares capped at no higher than 100 Euro (flights additional to those normally run by other carriers).

The signalling system on the fast line where the accident was now needs to be replaced with a more modern system (work which was ongoing at an advanced stage before the accident).

Also a lot of train sets are reported to be stranded at both Malaga and Seville.

While Cordoba has an airport it has no flights to Madrid, only to Barcelona on Vueling.

Thus that might be an option- fly to Barcelona then train to Zaragoza.

It may be possible to run some kind of rail service before then using the even older colour light trackside signalling, but those signals are very widely spaced- thus at best a very thin service can be expected once the track is repaired.

It looks to be unlikely that any significant service can be introduced in the next 3 weeks, although there is no official time scale for the works.

Since you may have to cobble together an indirect itinerary, I'll share this info uncovered quickly on the Omio website. (There may be additional options.)

• Amar buses run from Madrid to Ubeda (my favorite), Baeza and Jaen.
• ALSA buses run from Ubeda and Baeza to Cordoba.
• ALSA buses run from Ubeda, Baeza and Jaen to Granada.

Ubeda is an attractive, not-very-touristy Renaissance town known for ceramics.

This is why I love the Forum. Thank you all so much.

Maria I will go to tripadvisor. Thank you for reminding me that it's still a valuable resource!

isn Lots of great information and suggestions. Vueling might have worked but they only fly twice a week and not when I need it.

Ann Your comments led me to change my itinerary. Never occurred to me, duh :-)
I'm checking out Ubeda as a possible 2-night stay between Madrid and Cordoba. Do I book the bus on the Omio website?

I can't bear to give up Cordoba - my favorite Spanish city. My plan is now Madrid/Ubeda(?)/Cordoba/Zaragoza. I will bite the bullet and take the 5 hour bus ride from Cordoba to Madrid to get the train to Zaragoza.

I've never used the Omio website; it's just what popped up after I Googled yesterday.

It appears I misspelled the bus company's name in my earlier post. It is Samar, and the website is samar.es. It appears tickets can be purchased there, though I didn't test that process. During my 2019 trip, I just purchased my ticket at the bus station (Estacion Sur). That wouldn't be prudent now, I don't think, with transportation so messed up by the rail tragedy; I'd fear a ticket sellout.

There are two buses per day in each direction.

Will Renfe offer alternative transportation? Full refunds?

In answer to the refund question, I had to cancel 2 sets of reservations for the few days following the accident. It was easy on the website and the refund was back on my credit card within a few days - not long at all.

I have a third set for the morning of the accident when we found out the train was cancelled after arriving at the station - these were obviously in the past after I tried to cancel but the website was not offering me a full refund. I emailed to ask but have had no reply, so will find a station Sunday or Monday to do in person.