Renfe strike opens week of rail disruption in Spain ahead of Wednesday’s general strike

Spain’s rail network entered three consecutive days of disruption on Tuesday as a 24-hour strike by Renfe drivers halted several commuter lines in Madrid and hit Rodalies services across Catalonia.

A separate general strike on Wednesday is expected to disrupt rail travel again, before Renfe drivers stage another round of stoppages on Thursday. A wider railway strike is already scheduled for next Tuesday 17 November. ALSO READ: Spain’s housing crisis prompts general strike on 11 November, ahead of election.

The first morning of industrial action brought disruption well beyond the planned reductions in service. Madrid’s Cercanías network suspended trains on several lines and ran only sporadic services on others, while Rodalies reported disruption across its network. Both said the minimum service requirements were being missed. In Madrid, rain and heavy traffic on roads into and out of the capital compounded the problems for commuters.

The stoppage also affected intercity travel, with cancellations on the Madrid–Barcelona AVE route and on Avant services between Madrid and Valladolid.

Renfe warned of ‘delays and very limited availability of seats for rebooking’ and urged passengers to avoid non-essential journeys. The operator is allowing passengers to change or cancel bookings free of charge, including for trains covered by minimum service requirements. It said it would contact affected passengers by text or email.

Madrid’s Cercanías and Catalonia’s Rodalies advised commuters to use alternative transport. Passengers who need proof of disruption can download a Madrid Cercanías delay certificate or a Rodalies delay certificate.

General strike falls between two Renfe stoppages

Tuesday’s walkout, called by the Spanish train drivers’ union Semaf, runs until midnight. Wednesday’s general strike is a separate action. On Thursday, Semaf has called on Renfe drivers to stop work in three blocks covering the morning, afternoon and late evening.

For the two Semaf strike days, minimum service requirements were set at 75% of normal Cercanías frequencies at peak times and 50% during the rest of the day. For Rodalies and regional trains in Catalonia, the figures are 66% and 33% respectively. The requirements also cover an average of 65% of medium-distance trains, 72% of high-speed and long-distance services, and 20% of rail freight.

Catalonia’s territory minister, Sílvia Paneque, said the regional government would investigate why the minimum services had fallen short. ‘Failure to comply with the minimum service requirements is unacceptable, and we will see these proceedings through and get to the bottom of what has been happening in recent days, with this rise in drivers failing to report for their scheduled services,’ she told Catalunya Ràdio.

The dispute is set to widen on 17 November. Semaf has joined a strike called by unions representing workers at Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, over working conditions and safety. The action is expected to extend beyond Renfe to drivers at private operators Iryo and Ouigo and at freight companies.

Safety dispute deepens after fatal Urda crash

Semaf says the government has yet to fulfil commitments made in February after the accidents at Adamuz in Córdoba (Andalusia) and Gelida in Barcelona. ALSO READ: Families of Adamuz train crash victims to receive €216,000 under €20m compensation plan.

The agreement averted a strike at the time and included an additional €1.8 billion for maintenance and more staff at Adif and Renfe. ALSO READ: One dead, 37 injured, as commuter train ploughs into rubble of collapsed wall near Barcelona.

The union is pressing for clear rules on running trains in severe weather, better coordination between drivers and control centres in emergencies, and proper enforcement of breaks in driving time. It also wants more staff at the rail safety agency, Adif and Renfe. ALSO READ: All commuter and regional trains suspended in Catalonia ‘until safety of citizens can be guaranteed’.

The dispute intensified after a Renfe AVE and an Iryo train collided at Urda, in the Toledo province of Castilla-La Mancha, on 28 October, killing 69 people. ALSO READ: Fifteen foreign nationals confirmed among 69 killed in Spain’s latest train tragedy.

Drivers staged a 24-hour strike the following day. Since the crash, Semaf has also called for a rule barring trains from resuming ‘normal running’ after a failure of the LZB train protection system. ALSO READ: Spain to reduce Madrid-Seville train services and tighten safety procedures after recent disaster.

Carlos Cuerpo, Spain’s first deputy prime minister, met Semaf twice last week after taking over as transport minister from Óscar Puente, who resigned following the Urda crash. Adif president Luis Pedro Marco de la Peña also stepped down. ALSO READ: Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente resigns after latest deadly high-speed rail crash.

In talks with the union, Cuerpo has pointed to a €19 billion funding agreement for Adif covering maintenance, upgrades and network extensions from 2026 to 2030. Semaf acknowledged a greater willingness to negotiate, but the meetings ended with this week’s stoppages still in place.

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📢 ACTUALIZACIÓN 📢 Cercanías Madrid informa ⚠️ Con motivo de la huelga convocada por el sindicato de maquinistas SEMAF para hoy, 10 de noviembre, se están produciendo afectaciones al servicio debido al incumplimiento de los servicios mínimos establecidos. 🔴 No circulan los trenes de líneas C-2, C-3, C-4, C-5 y C-8. Excepcionalmente, circula algún tren puntual de líneas C-1, C-7 y C-10. 🚆 Se recomienda buscar medios alternativos y consultar la información actualizada sobre el estado del servicio a través de nuestros canales oficiales. Lamentamos las molestias y agradecemos su comprensión.
— Cercanías Madrid (@CercaniasMadrid) November 10, 2026

La huelga de maquinistas suspende trenes de Cercanías en Madrid y Rodalies, que denuncian el incumplimiento de los servicios mínimos https://t.co/J7bxApMjVj
— RTVE Noticias (@rtvenoticias) November 10, 2026

🔴 𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗙𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔: 𝗛𝗨𝗘𝗟𝗚𝗔 𝟭𝟬 𝗗𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗥𝗘 Mañana, 10 de noviembre, el servicio ferroviario se verá muy afectado por la huelga convocada por el Sindicato Español de Maquinistas Ferroviarios (SEMAF), con demoras y disponibilidad muy limitada de plazas para reubicaciones. ⚠️ Recomendamos buscar medios alternativos y evitar desplazamientos no imprescindibles. 🔄 Cambios y anulaciones sin coste.
— Renfe (@Renfe) November 9, 2026

📢 ATENCIÓ ℹ️ Degut a l’incompliment dels serveis mínims establerts per a la jornada de vaga d’avui, els trens no estan prestant el servei programat. 👉 Recomanem l’ús de mitjans de transport alternatiu: Consulta els serveis a https://t.co/isHzZgh1gO Disculpin les molèsties
— Rodalies Catalunya (@rodalies) November 10, 2026

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