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A national train strike in Spain has been halted after unions reached a deal with government.
Initially set to last three days from 9-11 February, the strike began on Monday, causing disruptions to train services throughout Spain.
Train drivers and railway workers agreed to end the strike on Monday afternoon after representatives of the sector and the Ministry of Transport reached an agreement at the fourth meeting between the two parties.
The strike would have resulted in the cancellation of more than 330 high-speed and medium-distance trains across three operators: Renfe, the state-owned rail transport company, Iryo, a high-speed rail operator, and Ouigo, a low-cost brand that also operates in France and Belgium.
To guarantee essential travel for citizens, the State Secretariat for Transport and Sustainable Mobility had established minimum services that regulated train traffic during strike days.
The Spanish Railroad Engineers and Trainmen’s Union (SEMAF) called for the strike in January following a deadly high-speed rail crash in southern Spain that killed 45 and injured more than 150 people. The union is calling for improved safety standards across the network.
The strike on Monday began after three rounds of talks between SEMAF and the Ministry of Transportation.
What are my refund rights?
If your train was cancelled due to strike action, you are entitled to a full refund within 30 days under EU law.
Alternatively, you can change your train at no additional cost.
Renfe says whose trains were affected by the strike could cancel or modify their tickets at no additional cost, regardless of the sales channel used. This applies both to passengers whose trains have been cancelled and to those who decide not to travel during the strike.
Details around how to claim a refund, or change your train, can be found on the railway operator’s website.
Consumer association Facua also reminds passengers who faced delays of their right to compensation: 25 per cent of the ticket price when the delay was between 60 and 119 minutes, and 50 per cent when it exceeded two hours.
However, these compensations do not apply to tickets purchased during strike days, or when the passenger was informed of the delay before buying the ticket.
Passengers are advised to check the status of services before going to stations, as train schedules may vary throughout the day.
The strike was set to last until Wednesday
The strike was initially scheduled to continue until Wednesday 11 February, after the unions calling it failed to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Transport and companies in the sector. However, on Monday, just hours after the strike began, both sides reached an agreement during their fourth meeting in recent days.
The trade unions defended the stoppages as a measure to demand labour and safety improvements.
The beginning of the year was marked by several railway accidents in Spain, including the deadliest in decades, which has intensified the debate on safety on the network, working conditions and the need to reinforce operational protocols. This has increased pressure on both companies and the administration in the midst of negotiations with the unions.
Spain has fallen behind in rail network inspection
Several specialised train drivers who were hired for network supervision by state-owned railway network manager Adif have said that they were left without assigned tasks for extended periods, despite having contracts to carry out this work, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
This complaint from train drivers is part of a wider criticism of the management of rail infrastructure maintenance, which some workers see as uncoordinated and ineffective.
The fleet designed to inspect the tracks has in many cases been inoperative or in prolonged approval phases, which, in the complainants’ view, has hampered the ability to continuously monitor the network.
This situation was the subject of an injunction from the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate, which pointed out the absence of work calendars and annual timetables for these drivers, a basic element to ensure that they could carry out their duties normally.
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