ADVERTISEMENTRail travel across Spain will be severely disrupted this month as staff begin walkouts tomorrow (Friday).
Hundreds of trains have already been cancelled throughout February including long and mid-distance Renfe services.
Workers at Renfe, Spain’s state-owned operator, have announced strikes at several points during the month.
Travellers are advised to check whether their journey will be affected on company websites.
Hundreds of Spain’s long-distance train services cancelled in February
Spain’s rail worker strikes will have a severe impact on train services connecting popular tourist destinations and major cities.
The first industrial action called by Spanish trade union CCOO will begin on Friday 9 February and see a 23-hour stoppage resulting in the cancellation of 310 long and mid-distance Renfe trains, including high-speed AVE trains.
A further 330 long-distance trains and 641 mid-distance services will also be scrapped.
There will still be a skeleton service operating, which Spain’s Ministry of Transport confirms is a legal obligation, which will likely reduce the number of cancellations.
Cercanías commuter trains in Madrid will also experience cancellations on Friday as a result of the walkouts. At peak times, only 75 per cent of the usual service is expected to run.
When will Spain’s rail workers strike in February?
Staff at Renfe and at Spain’s rail infrastructure manager Adif have already warned they will strike at various points during this month.
Another of Spain’s key unions UGT has confirmed partial nationwide stoppages for 2-hour periods every Monday this month affecting transport on 12, 19 and 26 February.
Both UGT and CCOO have also called walkouts for 16 and 17 February on Catalonia’s Rodalies trains between 7 and 9 am and 3 and 5 pm.
Unions say the strikes have been called after a 35-hour working week at Adif and the elimination of income categories at Renfe were not brought in.
Spain strikes: Passenger rights if your train is cancelled
If your train is cancelled, you have a few options as part of your passenger rights.
Renfe says it will offer affected travellers alternative tickets for services as close to the departure time of their original journey as possible. More info is available here.
Travellers can also choose to cancel their ticket and be reimbursed or select an alternative service of their choice.