TRAM Alicante goes on strike
Passengers can expect delays of up to an hour throughout February in Alicante city
Bad news for public transport users in Alicante city as the TRAM services are set to go on strike this Monday January 27. The industrial action will last throughout the month of February and will result in drastically reduced services on lines 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for the next five weeks.
Alicante TRAM unions have called the strike because the authorities have failed to hire the nine new drivers needed handle the increased traffic expected in 2025. At the start of last year, the Luceros station was expanded, meaning that the number of trams operating between Alicante and El Campello will double from one every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes.
Likewise, more services will start to operate on lines 2, 3, 4 and 5 and there are plans to turn several cars into double-deckers. This is all positive for travellers, but Alicante TRAM workers fear being overloaded by the additional demand.
In anticipation of this massive expansion to public transport, the management of FGV and the company committee signed an agreement in November that includes new driving shifts, holidays and schedules for drivers.
The agreement was due to come into force on January 8 this year, but the three-month delay by the Ministry of Finance in approving it has paralysed the incorporation of the improvements. This is the reason why the four unions represented on the committee – UGT, CC OO, SEMAF and SF – decided to call a strike on January 10.
Starting this Monday and during the last week of January, the TRAM will reduce its frequency by 25% between 7am and 10am Monday to Friday, a schedule that will hit commuters hard. In fact, the unions expect waiting times of up to half an hour in general, while passengers taking the L3 line will have to wait a full hour between trams.
During the whole month of February, this industrial action will also include the hours from 6pm to 9pm. Although minimum services of 75% have been established, waiting times will still increase during peak hours.
Passengers are strongly advised to check the timetable on the official TRAM website to avoid any inconvenience.
Image: Ayuntamiento de Alicante
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