The Spanish Ministerio de Transportes y Movilidad Sostenible set the minimum service levels on 26 October for the 24-hour strike called by the union Sindicato Español de Maquinistas Ferroviarios (SEMAF) at Renfe on Thursday, 29 October 2026. On suburban networks (Cercanías), 75 per cent of trains are to run during peak hours, from 06:00 to 09:00, 13:30 to 15:30 and 18:30 to 20:30, and 50 per cent outside these periods. Regional services (Media Distancia) are to have average coverage of 65 per cent, while high-speed and long-distance services (Alta Velocidad/Larga Distancia) will run 73 per cent of their usual services. The Freight transport will be maintained at 26 per cent.
SEMAF says the work stoppage is due to what it sees as the failure to implement agreed safety and operational protocols. The union is calling for binding procedures for warnings during extreme weather events, clear rules for coordinating communications in risky situations, and the correct application of driving-time breaks. SEMAF is also seeking technical solutions to recurring problems with the safety and reliability of rolling stock, and the removal of the so-called reduced retirement coefficients for train drivers.
In a statement, Renfe says it has implemented the agreed measures. The company also points out that several key demands – for example, those relating to pensions or general labour law – fall outside its corporate remit and require government decisions. Renfe is cautious about commenting on the scale of the protest announced by SEMAF, given its impact on mobility, and stresses the importance of the minimum service levels set to maintain basic services.
By setting minimum service levels, the ministry based in Madrid is exercising a power commonly used in Spain to ensure continuity of service in critical areas of the public sector. The requirements safeguard basic access in metropolitan areas and on key long-distance routes, but do not rule out regional restrictions, timetable changes and longer journey times. Depending on how the strike day unfolds, operators and regional authorities may take additional measures.
The dispute follows a lengthy disagreement over staffing levels, operational safety and the technical condition of certain vehicle series. SEMAF is pressing for existing commitments to be implemented swiftly and on a binding basis, while Renfe highlights its own progress. Whether and to what extent the differences will be resolved in the short term remains unclear; the minimum service levels are nevertheless intended to limit the impact of the strike on 29 October 2026.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).