Spain’s train drivers call more strike days following crash
Train drivers in Spain have called for two new stoppage days this month, following the recent Urda rail collision.
Two new walkout days have been called for on Tuesday November 10th and Thursday the 12th.
The decision comes after a pre-planned 24-hour strike held on October 29th and the devastating Urda rail crash on October 28th, in which 69 people lost their lives. The previous strike on the 29th saw a 26.6 percent participation rate.
According to Semaf, the Spanish Railway Train Drivers’ Union, the walkout on Tuesday, November 10th will be a full day from 12:01am to 11:59pm.
Partial strikes are planned for Thursday, November 12th, during three time periods: from 6:20am to 9:20am, from 2:20pm to 5:20pm, and from 9:20pm to 11:20pm.
Don’t miss our journalists’ daily news roundup from Spain
The new dates will take place around November 11th, when a general strike has been called for the whole country, so drivers won’t be working that day either.
This means that Renfe rail services could face three consecutive days of disruptions, with potential repercussions for thousands of passengers on commuter, regional, and long-distance trains.
The conflict originated with an agreement signed on February 9th between Semaf, the Ministry of Transport, and representatives from rail operator Renfe and infrastructure manager Adif, which included the creation of groups to develop new rules and operating procedures aimed at improving the safety of the railway system.
The union maintains, however, that negotiation meetings have been repeatedly postponed since April and that insufficient progress has been made.
READ ALSO: Four US citizens and one Canadian among Spain train crash dead
Now union is demanding measures to strengthen railway safety and improve working conditions for train drivers, including new protocols for adverse weather conditions, greater train reliability, and compliance with agreements on rest periods and retirement.
Semaf has also demanded structural changes and concrete guarantees for working in safe conditions, as well as limiting the time period of internship statuses for new hires, increasing the protection of staff and implementing an operational procedure for breakdowns and emergencies.
“We are fully aware that, when they have the will to do so, they are capable of processing and approving legal regulations in a few weeks; what is lacking is not time or administrative channels, but a real commitment to safety,” explained general secretary of Semaf, Diego Martín.
READ ALSO: Why have there been several deadly rail crashes in Spain this year?
The latest rail collision that took place last week is the fourth deadly train crash of 2026, following the Adamuz crash in January, causing 46 deaths; the Gelida accident in Catalonia which killed a train driver; and one between Madrid and Badajoz in which a train crashed into a car at a level crossing.
