Train Drivers’ Strike Cuts 60% of Minimum Rodalies Trains
Renfe says 60% of minimum-service trains were suppressed in the drivers' strike on Nov. 10. See the rules for Nov. 11 and 12 and what runs normally.
Renfe cut 60% of the trains it was required to run under minimum-service rules on Tuesday, Nov. 10, the first day of a train drivers’ strike, according to Metrópoli Abierta. The rail operator said on X that the strike-day minimum services were not being met, so trains were not running as scheduled. It recommended alternative transport.
At Sants station in Barcelona, La Vanguardia reported chaos by about 8:30 a.m., with no high-speed or medium-distance train arriving in the city. The one exception it named was the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat (the Catalan government’s own railways), which were running on time.
What is happening on Nov. 10
The strike was called by Semaf, the majority drivers’ union, and covers Renfe’s driving staff across Spain. Its stated aim is to protest “unmet commitments” on a structural change to rail safety.
The Generalitat (Catalan government) ordered minimum services of 66% of trains during rush hours, from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and 33% for the rest of the day. La Vanguardia described the agreed minimum as two of every three trains and said passengers reported routes with no train at all. Renfe’s figure of 60% suppressed was reported as of 6:30 a.m.
Rodalies (Catalonia’s commuter rail network) users have been dealing with disruption of varying severity for close to a year, according to Metrópoli Abierta. On Monday, Nov. 9, the network had widespread delays because of operating problems that the Govern (the Catalan executive) blamed on the drivers, and passengers were advised to look for other transport.
The schedule for the rest of the week
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: a general strike. Minimum services are 25% of trains from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Outside those hours there will be no Rodalies service.
- Thursday, Nov. 12: the second Semaf strike day. From 6:20 a.m. to 9:20 a.m., 66% of normal trains run. From 2:20 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. and from 9:20 p.m. to 11:20 p.m., the guaranteed service drops to 33%.
What this means for commuters
Rodalies director Òscar Playà warned that getting around will be “very complicated” all week, because the two driver strike days and the general strike fall close together. Residents who rely on Rodalies or on Renfe’s long-distance trains face the heaviest disruption on Nov. 11, when off-peak service is suspended altogether.
Renfe said on X that it has enabled free changes and cancellations on all trains, including those counted as minimum services. Metrópoli Abierta also reports that the labor conflict in the rail sector extends beyond Nov. 11, with several strikes threatening to continue until the end of the year.
What to watch next
Renfe’s account on X is the operator’s channel for service updates, and the Generalitat sets the minimum-service percentages for each day. Whether the operator meets the Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 minimums, after missing them on Nov. 10, is the open question for commuters this week.
Sources: La Vanguardia, Metrópoli Abierta
