Renfe Train Engineers Go on 24-Hour Strike Across the United States and Spain

Train engineers represented by the Spanish Union of Railway Engineers (Semaf) have launched a 24-hour nationwide strike across the entire Renfe group workforce, running from 00:01 until 23:50. The walkout follows a failure to reach an agreement during negotiations with transport authorities and management.

To mitigate disruptions for passengers, the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, alongside regional departments such as Catalonia's Department of Business and Labor, has decreed mandatory minimum service levels. In Catalonia, commuter networks like Rodalies and Regionals will operate at 66% capacity during peak hours and 33% during the rest of the day.

For the broader state railway system, minimum services vary by category. Commuter train lines, known as Cercanías, will run at 75% capacity during peak hours—specifically from 6:00 to 9:00, 13:30 to 15:30, and 18:30 to 20:30—and at 50% capacity during off-peak hours. Meanwhile, Medium-Distance trains are guaranteed at an average of 65% of their regular schedules.

High-Speed and Long-Distance services, including AVE lines connecting destinations like Zamora, will maintain 73% of their regular operations. Freight transport services are slated to run at 26% of their programmed schedules. Renfe has advised travelers to plan their trips ahead of time and check the status of their routes before heading to stations.

The union justifies the 24-hour stoppage by pointing to what it calls an administrative blockade surrounding previously signed agreements. Semaf demands better safety protocols and binding rules for adverse weather alerts, the hiring of additional engineers, improved reliability for rolling stock, and better procedures for handling accidents and psychological trauma following collisions.

Semaf representatives claim that proposals submitted to negotiation tables have stalled due to bureaucratic delays involving multiple public entities, including the Ministry of Transport, Adif, the State Railway Safety Agency, and Renfe itself. The union is pushing for the full application of past protocols and the establishment of a fair culture within train cabins.

Conversely, Renfe management has criticized the mobilization, calling it incoherent and arguing that the union's grievances fall outside the company's jurisdiction. According to Renfe, issues like driving time regulations and labor inspections are outside its direct decision-making capacity and are not included in the collective bargaining agreement signed by the union last July.

The railway company maintains that it has fully complied with all obligations under the February agreement aimed at reinforcing the rail system following the Adamuz accident. Renfe also highlighted that it has added more than 1,200 new workers, reinforced maintenance teams, and implemented unique safety measures during severe weather that are not utilized by competing operators. Company officials expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.