Spain’s rail unions confirmed on 4 February 2026 that a 72-hour nationwide strike will proceed from Friday 9 February after a late-night meeting with the Ministry of Transport ended without agreement. The walkout will affect Renfe’s entire network, including the AVE high-speed lines linking Madrid with business hubs such as Seville, Valencia and Barcelona.
Unions cite safety concerns following two fatal accidents in Adamuz and Gelida and accuse infrastructure manager Adif of under-investing in signalling. Management insists that proposed safety reviews are adequate and that new automatic-braking systems will be rolled out from 2027, but workers want immediate staffing increases and training.
![Nationwide Rail Strike Set for 9-11 February After Talks Fail]()
Travellers who still need to head to or through Spain during the strike window can streamline at least the paperwork side of their trip by using VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/). The service provides real-time entry-requirement updates, passport and visa processing, and optional courier pickup—helpful extras when rail disruptions already demand extra time for itinerary changes.
Minimum-service decrees are expected later this week; past precedents suggest 75 % of long-distance and 50 % of commuter services could be cancelled. Airlines are preparing extra domestic capacity, and car-rental companies have already triggered surge-pricing algorithms for that weekend.
Global-mobility teams should review travel scheduled for 8-12 February, consider advancing Sunday returns to Thursday evening, and advise employees to retain boarding-pass or hotel invoices in case of EU-261 or national compensation claims. Projects that rely on air–rail connections (for example, high-speed links feeding into long-haul flights) will need revised itineraries.
Unions cite safety concerns following two fatal accidents in Adamuz and Gelida and accuse infrastructure manager Adif of under-investing in signalling. Management insists that proposed safety reviews are adequate and that new automatic-braking systems will be rolled out from 2027, but workers want immediate staffing increases and training.
Travellers who still need to head to or through Spain during the strike window can streamline at least the paperwork side of their trip by using VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/spain/). The service provides real-time entry-requirement updates, passport and visa processing, and optional courier pickup—helpful extras when rail disruptions already demand extra time for itinerary changes.
Minimum-service decrees are expected later this week; past precedents suggest 75 % of long-distance and 50 % of commuter services could be cancelled. Airlines are preparing extra domestic capacity, and car-rental companies have already triggered surge-pricing algorithms for that weekend.
Global-mobility teams should review travel scheduled for 8-12 February, consider advancing Sunday returns to Thursday evening, and advise employees to retain boarding-pass or hotel invoices in case of EU-261 or national compensation claims. Projects that rely on air–rail connections (for example, high-speed links feeding into long-haul flights) will need revised itineraries.
