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Rail strikes in Spain: Renfe cancels 1,152 trains over four days

The Local Spain
The Local Spain - [email protected]
Rail strikes in Spain: Renfe cancels 1,152 trains over four days
Photo: AFP

This Wednesday, July 31st, will see the first of four planned stoppages on Spain’s rail service as workers called out by CGT union down tools in protest at new working contracts and understaffing.

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The strikes have been called to coincide with the busiest travel days, with the first called for Wednesday when a huge proportion of workers clock off for the summer and head off to the coast. 

The strikes consist of two four-hour periods - between noon and 4pm and 8pm and midnight - which will affect dozens of trains. 

Three more strike days have been called,August 14th, 31st and September 1st, chosen because they too are busy travel days. The first sees travellers heading off for the national holiday on August 15th and the last two dates mark the big return after the summer holidays.

Spain’s Ministry of Fomento (Infrastructure and transport) said Renfe must guarantee minimum services during the stoppages with 75  percent of commuter trains running during rush hours and 50 percent during other times. For long distance high speed train, 78 percent of services are guaranteed and on mid-range, 65 percent of trains will be running. 

Renfe announced that it had so far cancelled a total of 1,152 trains - 477 medium distance, 230 high speed long distance (AVE) and 445 freight trains.

The list of trains that are scheduled to be running can be found HERE.

Those booked on trains that are cancelled will be offered, where possible, an alternative train or route as close as possible to the scheduled journey, insisted Renfe.

But travellers will also be offered a full refund or chance to change the ticket for another date at no extra cost. 

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