Train travel during the next few days will be pending on two fronts: the strikes called in Renfe and Ouigo and the consequences of the Urda train accidentin Toledo. The stoppages have a minimum service schedule, while possible additional cancellations in the Madrid-Andalusia corridor will depend on the evolution of the outage and when circulation can recover.
Those who have a ticket for the November long weekend must check the specific status of their departure. A train included in the minimum services of the strike may also be affected by the interruption of the line. The lists drawn up before the accident are not enough to confirm that the trip can take place.
What days are there strikes in Renfe and Ouigo?
The Spanish Union of Railway Machinists (Semaf) called for the Thursday, October 29, a 24-hour strike in the Renfe Group. The strike is aimed at driving staff and runs from 00:01 to 23:59.
In Ouigo, full days of strike are planned for Friday, October 30 and Monday, November 2. They are different calls, so the dates and cancellations of one company should not be transferred to the other.
The calendar announced in Ouigo also includes partial stoppages on November 6 and 9 and December 4 and 8. The company has expressed its willingness to continue talks with union representatives to reach an agreement.
Renfe’s minimum services
The device published by Renfe establishes an average of 73% of the usual High Speed and Long Distance services and 65% in Medium Distance. These percentages describe the entire schedule and do not allow us to know on their own whether a specific train will run.
For Cercanías, the general announcement establishes 75% of the usual service during peak hours and 50% during the rest of the day. The bands with the greatest demand are 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Travelers should also consult the specific notices of their hub.
The reference for those who have a ticket with a reserved seat is the train number and its departure date. Two services that cover the same route may have a different situation during the strike.
Ouigo foresees 22 cancellations between the two days
The minimum services set for Ouigo are 71% for October 30 and November 2. The communicated schedule contemplates 55 circulations of the 77 planned between both days, which means 22 cancellations.
According to the information released by the company about the strike, these cancellations do not affect the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona route. This forecast refers to work stoppages and does not exclude other incidents that may modify the service.
Ouigo has communicated the cancellations to travelers through the email associated with the reservation. It offers affected customers to change their ticket free of charge or request a refund in accordance with the communicated conditions.
Possible cancellations due to the Urda accident
This Wednesday’s accident has interrupted high-speed traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia line. If the outage is prolonged, there could be new cancellations or changes in the services that use the affected section, also during the days of departure of the bridge.
These alterations may affect different operators, regardless of the strikes called. Therefore, those who travel with Renfe, Iryo or Ouigo along that corridor they must consult their company’s communications even if their train is not among those suppressed by the strikes.
It cannot be assumed that all trains on the bridge are canceled nor that subsequent services will run normally. The situation of each departure will depend on the recovery of the infrastructure and the programming communicated by the operator.
How to check if your train is canceled
Before leaving for the station, it is a good idea to check the email used to purchase the ticket, including your spam folder. Afterwards, you must check the reservation on the operator’s official channels and consult their service notices, along with information from Adif on the status of the line.
The search must be done with the train number, date, origin and destination. It is not enough to check that there is a connection between two cities or to consult a general schedule, because there may be canceled departures and others included in the minimum services.
Renfe has published the information about the strike on October 29 in its statement on minimum services. In Ouigo, the notification sent to the reservation holder includes the impact on the trip and the available alternatives. If the information does not match or is not clear, the traveler must contact the company before traveling.
What to do if the cancellation affects your ticket
If you receive a cancellation notice, review the options offered by the operator for that service and process the change or return through the indicated channel. It is advisable to keep the ticket, the locator and the communications received for any subsequent management.
Requesting an alternative because the company has canceled the train is not the same as canceling on your own initiative a trip that is still scheduled. Before purchasing another ticket, check the conditions applicable to your reservation and the solutions offered by the company.
On routes between Madrid and Andalusia, check the status of the service again before leaving for the station. A communication prior to the accident or a list of minimum services may have become outdated due to subsequent modifications.