Train drivers call off strike but eight commuter lines remain affected

Madrid / BarcelonaThe train drivers and the rest of the Renfe and Adif workersThe strike was called off at noon The train strike that began this Monday has been called off, according to Semaf General Secretary Diego Martín, after another meeting with the Ministry of Transport. Hours later, the railway unions explained that they had reached an agreement with the Spanish government to call off the strike. This agreement includes increased investment in track and train maintenance, improved safety measures, and strengthened mechanisms to ensure compliance, as Martín explained. Thus, the planned strikes for Tuesday and Wednesday have been suspended. This Tuesday, eight commuter rail lines—R1, R3, R4, R7, R8, RG1, R15, and RL4—continue to experience service disruptions, and alternative bus services have been arranged to cover their routes. The agreement reached by the unions Semaf, CCOO, and UGT—but not CGT, which is maintaining the strike—with the Spanish government is based on improved investment in infrastructure and working conditions in the sector. "It's a historic agreement for the railway," the union leader told the media. The general secretary of Semaf explained that the more than 25-page national agreement will "double" investment in rail and should establish "clear limits and responsibilities" for the main players in the sector. In fact, the largest union confirmed that they are calling off the strike because they have achieved "all the demands" they had made. Among the main measures included in the agreement is the classification of breaks of less than 45 minutes taken by train drivers as "driving time." Regarding Adif, the agreement establishes "fixed and permanent" regular meetings with workers and a 77% increase in maintenance spending by 2030, reaching the budgeted 1.179 billion euros. Regarding high-speed rail, spending will increase by 44%, rising from €435.6 million last year to €629 million. As for staffing, an agreement has been reached to create 1,200 additional contracts for maintenance and driving, among other roles, at Renfe, and 2,400 additional positions at Adif over a four-year period. Furthermore, the agreement, which has helped to demobilize the sector, includes the creation of a working group to develop a common protocol for responding to weather alerts and the insourcing of maintenance for some trains—including those used in Tarragona and Portbou—and for any new trains that are put out to tender. The agreement also highlights the fact that a committee must be established within a maximum of one month to harmonize and coordinate railway risk management actions, that a working group must be created with Adif to monitor the implementation and removal of temporary speed restrictions (TSRs), and that a document regulating notifications must be drafted by the workers.

"From the Ministry of Transport, we recognize the willingness to engage in dialogue, especially that maintained by the unions during the negotiations, and we congratulate them on their ability to reach consensus," stated sources from the ministry headed by Óscar Puente. After three weeks of railway chaos, following the fatal accidents in Adamuz and Gelida, the train drivers and other Renfe and Adif employees had three-day strike called which affected all rail services in the state, including commuter trains.

Another chaotic Monday

This Monday, commuters experienced the added chaos of recent days compounded by the strike of Renfe and Adif workers. Beyond the ongoing problems, this morning service was severely disrupted in Catalonia from the early hours, with train cancellations and numerous delays on the commuter rail network, once again creating a morning of confusion and long lines for passengers at most stations. At Sants station, passengers were quite explicit: "If the service was already terrible, today it was even worse," summarized Mirna. Her train had been canceled.

The Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, denounced this morning that the scheduled minimum services were not being met. Later, Renfe admitted that during the morning rush hour, less than half (42%) of the scheduled trains ran due to the failure to meet minimum service requirements on the Cercanías commuter rail network. The Government has asked the operator to guarantee the agreed-upon number of trains (66% of trains during peak hours and 33% during off-peak hours) or to add alternative means of transport where the drivers assigned to minimum services "did not show up."

"We will try to ensure mobility through these alternative plans," Paneque said. However, the Minister clarified that they understand "the drivers' state of mind" and respect the right to strike, but insisted that the minimum services "must be met." For its part, the operator has enabled free changes and cancellations of tickets for users who decide not to travel during these days of strikes. Regarding the rest of the country, Renfe has reported that 11.6% of its staff participated in the strike during the morning shift. Conversely, Semaf, the largest union, puts the percentage at 100% nationwide and justifies the fact that some minimum service trains did not run due to "organizational errors" by the company. "People are angry"

This time, the strike call didn't catch most commuters by surprise. Many did their best to adapt to the circumstances and arrive on time. Diego, for example, explained from Sants station that he left "well in advance" but still couldn't make it to his scheduled 10:00 AM meeting. "I wanted to take the 6:46 AM train, but it was canceled," he lamented. He had to call his coworkers to cover his shifts. "I'm still not sure what time I'll arrive," he said resignedly. Cristina Arana was even more prepared. "I work in the afternoon, but I thought it would be better to leave for Girona first thing in the morning, when there are supposed to be more trains due to the reduced service, and that way I'm sure to arrive," she said. She came to Barcelona on Saturday with Avant to participate in the demonstration against the railway management and in the evening attended the Gaudí Awards gala, because her daughter was participating in the events. Although she could have extended her stay all morning, she preferred to arrive at Sants station first thing, aware that during off-peak hours it would be "even more complicated."

Not far from her, the López Morillo family complained about the announcements over the PA system: "It's a lie, what they're saying, the trains aren't running." The couple is traveling with three young children and their parents, going from Pineda to Calatayud, and they are carrying more than six suitcases. "We took the train from Pineda to Barcelona, ​​then two subways, and now we have to take another train, but I don't know if we'll be able to," explained Bárbara, the head of the family.

Next to the ticket machines, the information staff were working hard to answer the questions of all the passengers. "People are very angry, as is normal, and I assure you that telling them the ticket is free doesn't help them at all," explains one worker, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals at work. He clarifies that he understands his colleagues' demands, but questions the timing of the strike: "Perhaps they should think a little more about the passengers and also about those of us who work directly with the public."

Workers' Protests

Throughout the morning, statements and even union protests took place. Demands for greater safety and better management and supervision of construction and maintenance were mixed with other familiar demands, such as labor issues. Francisco Cárdenas, the UGT representative for the train drivers, explained that morning, with the strike already underway, that "all parties" agreed "that safety needs to be improved": "What remains to be agreed upon is how we achieve this," he added. He specifically pointed out that the construction and maintenance are subcontracted and that the company itself is responsible for supervising the work. "It makes no sense," he said.

Regarding the possibility of normal service returning in April, as Renfe stated a few days ago, Cárdenas described it as "just barely." "There are quite a few critical points, and we'll be dealing with this for months and months. Perhaps the areas requiring the most urgent repairs can be finished, but everything else will still remain, and that's without considering what might happen if another storm hits," he pointed out.