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Spain's planned three-day rail strike has been called off after unions reached what they're calling a historic agreement with the Ministry of Transport. The walkout, which began on Monday February 9 and was set to continue until Wednesday February 11, ended after just one day when negotiators secured a deal promising €1.8 billion in investment and thousands of new jobs.

 

The industrial action follows two serious rail accidents in January and centres on demands for improved safety measures and additional resources across the network.

 

The CCOO and UGT unions, together with the train drivers' union Semaf, announced the cancellation following lengthy talks that resulted in a substantial increase to the railway maintenance budget.

 

The agreement also commits to boosting staff numbers at Renfe and Adif, the national rail operator and infrastructure manager, and expanding the workforce at the State Railway Safety Agency.

 

Diego Martín, general secretary of Semaf, described the deal as a breakthrough that will see annual spending on railway network maintenance rise gradually between 2026 and 2030. The investment will increase by between €150 million and €250 million each year depending on the period, ultimately reaching €1.8 billion within four years. Alongside the financial commitment, 3,650 new jobs will be created, primarily at Adif and Renfe.

 

Last year, Adif allocated €1.119 billion to maintaining the general interest railway network. The new agreement establishes a progressive increase that will exceed previous projections by 40% for the high-speed network by 2030. For the conventional network, spending over five years will reach €1.179 billion, compared to the €982 million originally planned.

 

The deal also delivers what unions call a substantial increase in maintenance staff at both Adif and Renfe. According to the agreement text, 2,400 new positions will be created at Adif, 1,200 at Renfe and 50 at the State Railway Safety Agency.

 

However, not all unions have come on board. The CGT railway sector, SFF-CGT, indicated it will maintain the strike until Wednesday. The other organising unions, the Intersindical Railway Union (SF-I) and the Alternative Railway Union (ALFERRO), have also not called off the strike.

 

The agreement came on the first of three planned strike days, during which hundreds of trains stopped running. This included 328 high-speed and long-distance trains operated by Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo, and hundreds of commuter services, which only ran at 25% capacity during peak hours and 50% the rest of the day.

 

The single day of strikes resulted in delays, overcrowding at stations, accusations against train drivers for not respecting minimum service requirements and a certain air of resignation among passengers facing a strike motivated by safety concerns about the network.

 

 

The Spanish Association of Consumers and Users Online (Consumur) has reminded passengers of their rights and what they can claim following the disruption. 

 

Rail operators with train journeys affected by cancellations or delays of at least 60 minutes, whether at departure or arrival, are required to offer passengers the following options: a full refund of the ticket price, continuation of the journey under comparable transport conditions as soon as possible, or continuation of the journey or travel on an alternative route under comparable conditions at a later date convenient to the passenger.

 

Image: CGT