Transport · Madrid and Miranda de Ebro
Renfe cancels 320 trains for Monday strike in freight sell-off row
A 24-hour walkout by the Sindicato Ferroviario union will halt one in three high-speed trains and halve commuter services on Monday, with a second strike already set for mid-July.
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In brief
Monday's strike will see 98 high-speed/long-distance trains and 222 medium-distance trains removed from the timetable.
AVE and long-distance services will operate at 73% capacity, medium distance at 65%, and commuter lines at 50% (75% during peak hours).
The Sindicato Ferroviario has also called a second 24-hour walkout for 15 July, hitting the start of the summer holiday period.
The union opposes a planned joint venture with Medway (MSC group) for Renfe Mercancías, accusing management of deliberately running down the freight business.
The union cites the external contracting of locomotive maintenance and the closure of the Miranda de Ebro rolling stock workshop as evidence of broken labour agreements.
Renfe will cancel a total of 320 train services on Monday, 29 June, as the Sindicato Ferroviario (SF) union begins the first of two 24-hour strikes. The dispute centres on the future of Renfe Mercancías, the state-owned operator's freight division, and the proposal to create a joint venture with Medway, a subsidiary of the MSC group.
Service disruption across the network
High-speed and long-distance services will run at 73% of normal levels, with 262 of the 360 planned AVE and Larga Distancia trains remaining active. Medium-distance routes will operate at 65% of capacity, with 420 of 642 trains running under minimum service orders. Commuter lines (Cercanías) will be reduced to 50% of regular frequency outside peak hours; during the morning (06:00–09:00), midday (13:30–16:00), and evening (18:30–20:30) peaks, the service will step up to 75% of the normal timetable.
- High-speed & long distance
- 73 %
- Medium distance
- 65 %
- Commuter (off-peak)
- 50 %
Data from the article text
Two strikes in peak holiday season
The 29 June stoppage is the first of two walkouts called by SF. A second 24-hour strike is scheduled for 15 July, a period that coincides with the start of many workers' summer holidays. Passengers affected by cancellations can reschedule to the nearest available train or change and cancel their tickets at no cost through Renfe's usual sales channels.
Freight division at the heart of the dispute
The union accuses Renfe of a "premeditated abandonment" of its freight business and opposes the plan to bring in Medway as a strategic partner. SF argues that the company has failed to honour agreements reached in November 2023 and March 2025, which halted previous strikes, by reducing the workload allocated to Renfe Mercancías.
“The premeditated abandonment to which Renfe Mercancías is being subjected is having serious consequences on the workloads of other workshops.”
Workforce guarantees and workshop closures
The union highlights two specific grievances: the external tendering of maintenance for 65 Class 333.3 locomotives, work previously carried out by Renfe's own engineering and maintenance staff, and the announcement of the definitive closure of the rolling stock workshop in Miranda de Ebro. SF says these steps violate the socio-labour guarantees promised to the workforce during the search for a freight partner.
“We consider that all these breaches are the product of the unjustifiable abandonment of freight activity at the public company Renfe, and cause serious harm to the workforce that must be immediately corrected.”
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