Spain’s state-owned rail operator RENFE confirmed on 5 February that it will scrap 955 passenger services during a three-day strike scheduled for 9-11 February. The industrial action – called by the CCOO, UGT and SEMAF unions – affects high-speed AVE lines, Intercity services and vital commuter routes around Madrid and Barcelona, as well as freight corridors serving Valencia’s port.
Government-mandated minimum-service decrees will keep 73 % of long-distance and 65 % of medium-distance trains running, but business-traveller favourites such as the Madrid-Barcelona AVE face 272 cancellations. Catalonia and the Basque Country will apply separate service floors of 66 % and 60 % respectively. Low-cost competitors Iryo and Ouigo, plus infrastructure manager Adif, are also hit, raising the risk of knock-on delays even on trains that are not formally cancelled.
Should the strike force last-minute itinerary changes across borders, VisaHQ can streamline the visa or travel-document adjustments that many international passengers forget about; its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers fast processing and expert guidance, easing compliance headaches while travellers rebook flights, buses or rental cars.
![RENFE to cancel 955 trains as three-day national rail strike looms]()
The unions cite safety concerns after two high-profile accidents and demand a hiring plan to replace 2,300 retirees. Talks with Transport Minister Óscar Puente collapsed on Wednesday, although both sides say negotiations will continue. If no deal is reached, the walkout will coincide with a major medical-technology congress in Valencia, forcing exhibitors to rebook onto already busy flights.
Companies with large commuter populations should activate telework protocols or arrange bus charters. Mobility managers moving assignees’ household goods by rail freight face potential storage fees if wagons miss berthing slots. RENFE has opened a dedicated rebooking portal; refunds will be processed within five days, according to the carrier.
The episode underscores growing labour unrest across Spain’s transport sector – a factor global-mobility planners must watch as they build 2026 travel budgets and assignment timelines.
Government-mandated minimum-service decrees will keep 73 % of long-distance and 65 % of medium-distance trains running, but business-traveller favourites such as the Madrid-Barcelona AVE face 272 cancellations. Catalonia and the Basque Country will apply separate service floors of 66 % and 60 % respectively. Low-cost competitors Iryo and Ouigo, plus infrastructure manager Adif, are also hit, raising the risk of knock-on delays even on trains that are not formally cancelled.
Should the strike force last-minute itinerary changes across borders, VisaHQ can streamline the visa or travel-document adjustments that many international passengers forget about; its Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) offers fast processing and expert guidance, easing compliance headaches while travellers rebook flights, buses or rental cars.
The unions cite safety concerns after two high-profile accidents and demand a hiring plan to replace 2,300 retirees. Talks with Transport Minister Óscar Puente collapsed on Wednesday, although both sides say negotiations will continue. If no deal is reached, the walkout will coincide with a major medical-technology congress in Valencia, forcing exhibitors to rebook onto already busy flights.
Companies with large commuter populations should activate telework protocols or arrange bus charters. Mobility managers moving assignees’ household goods by rail freight face potential storage fees if wagons miss berthing slots. RENFE has opened a dedicated rebooking portal; refunds will be processed within five days, according to the carrier.
The episode underscores growing labour unrest across Spain’s transport sector – a factor global-mobility planners must watch as they build 2026 travel budgets and assignment timelines.
