This is very embarrasing to write about, but here it goes-
I already had the ticket for a high speed AVE train leaving at 11:20 AM from Cordoba to Sevilla. I arrived at the train station in Cordoba too early, before 11 AM, but you are allowed on a platform only 20 minutes before departure. Shortly after 11 o’clock I put my bag through the metal detector and walked to the window where my ticket was checked; I was told that my train will arrive on a platform # so and so. At the same time an announcement was made over loud speakers that the AVE train to Sevilla is about to arrive. As I was descending an escalator to the platform, I saw the train pulled up and I assumed it was my train, so without double checking it’s destination, I just found my carriage and got inside. The train took off shortly, and I was surprised that it left the station 10 minutes ahead a schedule.
I was sure that we were going to Sevilla but became suspicious that something was wrong when it was announced that this train's destination is Ageciras and the next stop is Antequera- Santa Ana.
My next stop should have been Sevilla, in 45 minutes. Initially I thought that I got on a slow train by mistake and Sevilla will be along the way, however GPS curve on a large electronic map displayed in a carriage showed that I was going in a completely different direction. I was stunned and showed my ticket to a woman next to me, she shook her head saying that I am on a wrong train, this train wasn't even an AVE one. She said that I should find a conductor who usually hangs out in the restaurant car.
I found 2 conductors in the restaurant car, very nice elderly men who didn’t speak any English; my Spanish was nonexistent either, they looked at my ticket and shook their heads; a barman translated that I need to get off at the next stop, Antequera Santa Ana and to find Renfe's customer service desk to explain the situation. So, I returned to my seat to wait for the stop; soon both conductors showed up. I took my bag and stood near the door as we were pulling to the station, all this time the conductor was standing next to me, talking on his phone to someone in rapid Spanish, all I could catch was the word Sevilla. He wrote something on my ticket and then repeated 3 times: “companero Andreas”, even made me to repeat the phrase.
The train stopped, I got off but conductors motioned to me not to go anywhere, they kept talking about companero Andreas, and suddenly I saw a man walking towards us. He turned out to be my companero Andreas who spoke English. He was already briefed on my situation by the conductor on the phone; they exchanged pleasantries, conductors jumped back on board and the train took off. Mr. Andreas and I walked to the customer service. He was very relaxed and smiling, said that this is a common mistake people make, getting on the wrong train, especially when trains arrive on the same platform. At the customer service desk he did all the talking, but it appears that the guy at the desk already knew about me, and even though I didn’t understand Spanish, I could easily guess that by his expression. He was also very relaxed and issued me a new ticket for a direct AVE train to Sevilla from this station, leaving in 55 minutes. They didn’t charge me any money. Mr. Andreas took time to explain the ticket to me, and even showed me where the platform was. He repeated it 3 times to make sure that I got it.
Antequera Santa Ana train station is very small and easy, I sat down on a bench to wait and tried to calm myself down by reading Rick's guidebook.
I was amazed just how nice these people were, and they probably took a pity on me, going above and beyond. I felt embarrassed and like a complete idiot. This never happened to me before, and I took a lot of trains in my life, but probably I was way too relaxed and not paying attention.
Finally, I got on the correct train and arrived in Sevilla 3 hours later than planned.