Strike Dates Set for 10 and 12 November

The Spanish Union of Railway Engineers (Semaf) has announced two new strike days at Renfe, with a full 24-hour stoppage scheduled for Tuesday 10th November 2026 and partial stoppages on Thursday 12th November. The industrial action comes amid an ongoing dispute over unmet safety commitments, and will precede and follow the general strike called by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) for Wednesday 11th November. This sequence of actions could lead to significant disruptions across Renfe services for three consecutive days. No official list of cancelled trains or minimum service arrangements for the 10th and 12th has yet been published.

Dispute Centers on February Safety Agreement

Semaf traces the conflict to a pact signed on 9th February 2026 with the Ministry of Transport, Renfe, and Adif following the Adamuz rail accident in Córdoba. That agreement included the creation of multidisciplinary working groups to develop new railway safety regulations, emergency protocols, and operational procedures. According to Semaf, these meetings were suspended in April 2026 and have not resumed, with repeated postponements and no progress on the monitoring committee. The union accuses the administration of lacking a real commitment to railway safety.

Everything remains exactly at the same point in October,

said Diego Martín, general secretary of Semaf.

Previous Strike Reported as Successful

The union declared Thursday 29th October’s strike a success, claiming 100% participation among train drivers. Renfe, however, reported a 26.6% turnout overall, with participation rising through the day: 2.19% on night shifts, 23.84% in the morning, and 34.06% in the afternoon. On Rodalies commuter services, Renfe confirmed 16 out of 253 scheduled trains were cancelled by 5 p.m. on 29th October.

Additional Union Demands

Beyond the stalled safety agreement, Semaf is calling for:

  • Limits on the use of trainee status for new recruits
  • Better protection against people being struck by trains
  • Clear operational protocols for technical faults and emergencies
  • Correction of technical deficiencies on Class 106 trains

Renfe maintains it has fulfilled its obligations under the February agreement and asserts that many outstanding issues fall outside its direct control.

Sources: viaempresa.cat, elconstitucional.es, railin.net, russpain.com.