To display this YouTube content, you must allow advertising and audience measurement cookies.
An extension on your browser appears to be blocking the video player from loading. In order to view this content, you must disable it on this site.
First modification: 02/10/2026 - 03:16
Railway unions and the Spanish Government reached an agreement to end a three-day strike on its first day. The pact, sealed after two fatal accidents that left 47 dead, includes 25 measures in safety, maintenance and incorporation of personnel and relieves the road congestion caused by the strike on Monday, February 9.
Spain had a railway strike this Monday, called by three unions in the sector to demand greater security and investment in the train network, a strike that, although it was scheduled to last three days, was called off after an agreement was reached with the Government in the first hours of the protest.
The negotiation, driven by social and political pressure after two fatal accidents that occurred in mid-January, led to what union organizations described as a “historic agreement” for the Spanish railway system.
The agreement was announced after a meeting in Madrid between union representatives and the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Pedro Sánchez, as a spokesperson for the Semaf train drivers union explained to the AFP news agency.
Read alsoSpain agrees to improve railway safety after two accidents and a strike
The document includes 25 points distributed over 10 pages and is articulated around three fundamental pillars: new security measures and regulations, an increase in investment in the maintenance of infrastructure and the provision of the necessary personnel to carry out these improvements.
The negotiation accelerated after two accidents that marked the country. On January 18, two high-speed trains collided near the Andalusian town of Adamuz when one of them overturned onto the adjacent track, causing the death of 46 people, including one of the train drivers.
Two days later, in Gelida, Catalonia, the collapse of a slope on the track caused the derailment of another train, leaving one driver dead and several passengers injured, in addition to the suspension of service for several days in the region.
“It is a situation that we have been denouncing for a long time and, unfortunately, with these accidents we are being paid more attention,” said Pau Mercè, of the CCOO union, during a demonstration in Barcelona.
Along the same lines, Daniel Hidalgo, CGT railway spokesperson, stressed that workers “have been demanding greater maintenance for years” on an increasingly demanding network.
The three-day strike that was not
The strike, although it was stopped earlier than planned, affected short-distance services in a single day, causing delays, cancellations and scenes of congestion in large stations such as Atocha, in Madrid, and Sants, in Barcelona.
Thousands of travelers encountered delays and lack of information, especially during the morning rush hours, despite the fact that the authorities imposed minimum services of 75% in high demand periods and 50% the rest of the day.
The unions, however, insist that the growth in the number of users has put strain on the system, the roads and the safety of those who use the system.
"A decade ago, about 10 million passengers were transported; now we are between 22 and 23 million," said Arturo Vega, national head of CSIF, who demanded an investment in line with this increase in demand to guarantee inspections and safe conditions.
With information from EFE and Reuters.
Related keywords
The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.
