Spain Train Strike Cripples Rail Lines After Crash Killed 69
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MENAFNIn Madrid, the Cercanias commuter network shut down six lines and ran only sporadic trains on two more. In Catalonia, operator Rodalies reported that none of its lines was running on schedule.
Cancellations also hit the high-speed route between Madrid and Barcelona and the services connecting Madrid with Valladolid. State rail operator Renfe let travelers change or cancel tickets at no cost, but cautioned that few seats remained for rebooking.
The drivers’ union Semaf announced this week’s stoppages the day after the Oct. 28 crash near Urda, in Toledo province, which left 69 people dead.
The union had already planned a walkout for Oct. 29, saying commitments made after two January accidents had not been honored. One of those was the Adamuz crash, which killed 46 people. The other was a derailment in Catalonia that killed a driver.
Drivers are calling for firm rules on running trains in severe weather. They also want a ban on trains returning to normal speed after the automatic train protection system fails, a malfunction linked to last month’s crash.
Newly appointed Transport Minister Carlos Cuerpo has met union representatives twice in under a week. Semaf acknowledged headway in the negotiations but kept the strike in place, with more stoppages scheduled for Thursday during the morning and evening rush hours and again late at night.
Also on Tuesday, the government approved a decree recognizing drivers’ right to halt a train, or refuse to start one, when they face serious and imminent danger, a state broadcaster reported. The decree also lets rail workers report safety risks confidentially, without fear of retaliation.
The walkout comes one day before Spain’s largest unions are set to stage a nationwide general strike over housing costs and low wages, the country’s first since 2012.
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