Rodalies Delays Spread as Strikes Hit Trains Nov. 10, 11 and 12
Rodalies trains ran late again Sunday amid a Renfe driver dispute. Strikes hit Nov. 10 and 12, with a general strike Nov. 11. Minimum services explained.
Commuters in Catalonia face three straight days of disrupted trains next week. The train drivers’ unions Semaf and Alferro have called strikes at Renfe (Spain’s state rail operator) on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Thursday, Nov. 12, and a general strike is set for Wednesday, Nov. 11, the Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat reported.
The strikes follow a weekend of delays on Rodalies (the Barcelona-area commuter rail network), linked to a dispute between Renfe and its drivers over new work shifts.
What it means for train and transit users
On Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, the Generalitat (Catalan government) has set minimum services for Rodalies and regional trains at 66% of trains during rush hours, from 6 to 9.30 and from 17 to 20.30. Outside those hours, the minimum is 33%.
For the general strike on Wednesday, Nov. 11, minimum public transport services will be 25% at peak times, between 6.30 and 9.30 and between 16.30 and 21.00. No minimum level of service is guaranteed outside those windows.
That leaves anyone who depends on public transport in Catalonia with three consecutive days of serious disruption, from Tuesday through Thursday.
Sunday’s delays across the network
On Sunday, trains on the R1, R2, R2 Nord, R2 Sud and R4 lines, as well as the southern regional services, ran off their normal timetables. Renfe said on X that the cause was “operational incidents” involving drivers and trains, which it was still analyzing.
The R8 had a separate problem: delays of more than 20 minutes after an infrastructure fault near Rubí, in the Vallès Occidental area.
Saturday brought similar problems
The same lines ran late on Saturday, also because of an “operational incident,” according to 3Cat. Service on the R4 was halted for a while between Sant Vicenç de Calders and el Vendrell because a person was on the tracks. The R8 was again delayed by more than 20 minutes, that time by an infrastructure problem at Castellbisbal station.
Why drivers and Renfe are at odds
The dispute began after Semaf, the largest drivers’ union, broke off an agreement it had with the company. Renfe then introduced new schedules and shifts that change when drivers work and rest.
The changes have hit drivers hardest when their shift starts far from home. In some cases, those drivers could not report for duty as usual. 3Cat said this has added to the service problems, although Renfe has not said what caused each of this weekend’s incidents.
What to watch this week
According to 3Cat, the Rodalies problems could carry on into the coming week. The minimum service levels apply to the two Renfe strike days and to the general strike day, and they set only a floor: the share of trains that actually run outside peak hours on Nov. 11 is not guaranteed.
Source: 3Cat 324
