A 24-hour strike called by the Sindicato Español de Maquinistas Ferroviarios (SEMAF) is significantly disrupting rail services in Catalonia on 10 November 2026. The transport hub Barcelona-Sants reported numerous cancellations and delays to regional and suburban services in the morning and at midday. Renfe and Rodalies de Catalunya confirmed restrictions, despite the Spanish Ministry of Transport having ordered binding minimum service levels.
According to Renfe, minimum service levels apply to ensure a basic service during peak hours. Nevertheless, a noticeable number of services were cancelled on the Rodalies de Catalunya network; individual long-distance and high-speed services were also adjusted. Operators advised passengers to check services before travelling and, where possible, to choose alternative means of transport. At Barcelona-Sants, queues formed at times, according to the authorities, because trains were running less frequently and schedules had to be reorganised.
In a recent statement, SEMAF justified the strike by citing demands for better guarantees on safety, staff planning and working conditions in rail operations. Renfe said the disruption was significant and asked passengers to postpone non-essential journeys. The Generalitat de Catalunya pointed to the minimum service levels in force, but urged realistic expectations about the actual capacity of services given staffing levels and operational procedures.
The dispute is part of a series of pay and operational conflicts that have been simmering between the unions and Renfe for some time. Operators view minimum service levels as a means of ensuring that critical connections remain operational; however, their practical implementation depends on whether enough staff are available for the scheduled services and whether the allocated trains return to their schedules on time.
In the short term, the strike is affecting commuters in the Barcelona metropolitan area above all. If further strike days follow, the economic repercussions in the metropolitan area could grow and put additional pressure on Renfe, SEMAF and the Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible to reach workable agreements on safety, maintenance and shift planning. For today, the companies reserved the right to make ongoing timetable adjustments and announced that they would keep the public informed about the situation and service availability.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).