Train Drivers’ Strike Strands Commuters in Catalonia and Madrid
A Semaf train drivers' strike stranded thousands of commuters in Catalonia and Madrid on Tuesday. More partial strikes are planned for Thursday, Nov. 12.
The first of two strike days called by the Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) left thousands of commuters stranded across Madrid and Catalonia on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to The Local Spain. Minimum services were not being met, and widespread delays were reported across the network.
A second round of partial strikes is planned for Thursday, Nov. 12, in three time periods during the day.
Which trains were supposed to run
The Ministry of Transport had agreed minimum services for the strike. These are the shares of trains that must keep running while drivers walk out. For commuter trains, the requirement ranges from 75 percent during peak hours to 50 percent for the rest of the day. Medium-distance trains must run at 65 percent, and high-speed rail at 72 percent.
On Tuesday morning those levels were not fully being met, according to the report. Many drivers did not turn up for work, and delays were reported across the network.
Catalan government asks Renfe for answers
Sílvia Paneque, the Catalan Minister of Territory, said on Catalunya Ràdio that the Generalitat (the Catalan government) will ask Renfe, the rail operator, for information on why minimum services were not provided. She also said investigations will be opened into why so many drivers failed to show up. She called the shortfall unacceptable and promised the government would “get to the bottom of this.”
Why drivers are walking out
Train drivers across Spain are staging walkouts over conditions on the railways. They are calling for measures to strengthen railway safety and to improve working conditions.
Thursday’s strike windows
The partial strikes on Thursday, Nov. 12, are set for three periods:
- 6.20 a.m. to 9.20 a.m.
- 2.20 p.m. to 5.20 p.m.
- 9.20 p.m. to 11.20 p.m.
One window falls in the morning, one in the afternoon and one late in the evening.
What this means for commuters
People who rely on commuter trains in Catalonia and Madrid have already faced delays on the first strike day, and a second round of stoppages is due on Thursday. Because minimum services were not fully met on Tuesday, the percentages agreed with the ministry do not guarantee how many trains actually run during a stoppage. Renfe and the Ministry of Transport are the bodies that set and monitor those levels, and the Catalan government has said it will press Renfe on why they were missed.
Source: The Local Spain
