Renfe postpones Madrid-Andalucía replacement service to 3 November amid Semaf strikes

Renfe postpones the replacement service

Renfe said in a communiqué issued on Thursday, 29 October, that the alternative transport plan (PAT) it had scheduled for Friday, 30 October, on the Madrid-Andalucía line cannot run. The operator said the Semaf train drivers' union had demanded strict compliance with the regulatory 96-hour deadline for changing service timetables, which pushes the earliest start to Tuesday, 3 November. Renfe will publish the final design of the plan, including timetables, routes, available services and the start date, before 3 November. The postponement comes in the middle of an escalating labour dispute with Renfe, and it leaves travellers without a rail option ahead of the All Saints' bridge weekend.

“Renfe continues working to offer a mobility alternative in response to the closure of the Madrid-Andalucía high-speed line, within the regulatory conditions and deadlines.”

A line cut since Wednesday

The high-speed corridor has been closed since Wednesday, 28 October, when a crash between Los Yébenes and Urda, in Toledo province, involved an AVE train and a train operated by Iryo. No date has been set for resuming services. Renfe had said the replacement would run for as long as high-speed traffic stayed interrupted, but it never specified how the service would work. The company's latest statement gives no date for the start of the replacement, only a commitment to publish its details before 3 November.

Strike hits Renfe services

Semaf held a strike at Renfe on Thursday, 29 October, demanding structural changes to rail safety, among other things. The union said 100% of its drivers joined, while Renfe recorded a 26.63% following at 18:00. Renfe said the union's demands fell outside its remit, objecting to a strike against its service over matters such as driving-time rules and decisions by the labour inspectorate. The strike led to 606 public services being suppressed, 21% of the 2,807 scheduled, and in Cercanías Madrid 487 of the 599 planned services were affected. Renfe staff at Atocha said most of their assistance requests concerned the strike rather than the closure.

Following rates differed by shift: 2.19% at night, 23.84% in the morning and 34.06% in the afternoon.

Night shift2.19%

Morning shift23.84%

Afternoon shift34.06%

Night shift

2.19 %

Morning shift

23.84 %

Afternoon shift

34.06 %

Data from the article text

More stoppages called

Semaf has called a total stoppage on Tuesday, 10 November, running from 00:01 to 23:59. On Thursday, 12 November, it has called partial stoppages between 6:20 and 9:20, 14:20 and 17:20, and 21:20 and 23:20. The union also called six further strike days, with 24-hour and partial stoppages. Its stated grievances include the failure to deliver binding protocols for weather alerts and the lack of definitive technical fixes for rolling stock safety problems.

Airlines add seats

Iberia has added flights to Seville and Málaga with more frequencies and larger aircraft. Between 28 October and 30 October the airline added 3,280 extra seats, 47% more than planned. Iberia has also capped fares on all its Madrid-Andalucía flights until 8 November. Buses remain the other main option while the rail line stays closed.