The planned three-day Spanish railway strike has been called off. This follows a significant agreement between the Ministry of Transport and major trade unions on Monday afternoon. The deal, which includes commitments to massive increases in maintenance spending and the creation of thousands of jobs, averts further travel chaos across the country. Therefore, the Spanish railway strike ends with a historic resolution.
Historic investment in rail infrastructure
Following intense negotiations, the Ministry of Transport, led by Oscar Puente, has committed to a sweeping modernisation of the railway network. The agreement outlines a sharp rise in the maintenance budget for Adif, the state-owned infrastructure manager.
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Spending on conventional lines is set to increase by 77%. This rises from €665 million in 2025 to €1.178 billion by 2030. High-speed lines will also see a substantial boost. Maintenance budgets will grow by 44%, from €435 million to €628 million over the same period.
Diego Martín, secretary general of the majority train drivers’ union Semaf, described the consensus as a “historic agreement for the railway”.
New jobs and internalised maintenance
Beyond financial injections, the agreement addresses long-standing union demands regarding staffing levels and the outsourcing of labour. The plan includes:
- Adif workforce expansion: The infrastructure manager will add up to 2,400 new employees over the next five years.
- Renfe recruitment: The state operator will issue 1,200 additional contracts. These cover roles for drivers, inspectors, and maintenance staff.
- Internalisation of work: A portion of maintenance tasks currently subcontracted to private firms will be brought back in-house to Renfe workshops.
Disruption and ongoing delays
Before the strike was officially cancelled, Monday saw significant disruption across the network, particularly in Catalonia. However, many commuters noted that the service on the Rodalies network was not drastically different from recent weeks. Recent weeks have been plagued by delays due to temporary speed restrictions imposed after a fatal accident in Gelida.
In a surprising turn, some passengers reported that the reduced timetable actually ran more smoothly than usual. This was simply because there were fewer trains to congest the restricted tracks. Meanwhile, road traffic into Barcelona saw heavy congestion as travellers switched to cars and buses.
A divided union front
While the agreement was signed by the major unions-Semaf, CCOO, and UGT-not all labour groups are satisfied. The unions Alferro and CGT were excluded from the final negotiation table. CGT has distanced itself from the deal. This move could complicate the return to full normality.
To ensure the promises are kept, a specific working group will be established. This group involves Adif, unions, and the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF). Their primary focus will be monitoring the removal of the numerous temporary speed restrictions. These restrictions are currently slowing down services on the Barcelona-Madrid corridor and the wider Rodalies network.
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