The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (SEMAF), the sector’s majority union, has announced a general strike across the entire Spanish rail network to demand network safety and reliability, after two drivers died within 48 hours.
The incidents cited by the union are the Adamuz derailment (Córdoba), where an Iryo train derailed and collided with a Renfe Alvia, causing 42 fatalities including the 28-year-old driver from Alcorcón ; and last night in Gelida (Barcelona), when a retaining wall collapsed onto a Rodalies trainset due to the storm, killing the trainee driver, also 28 and from Seville .
SEMAF deems the constant infrastructure deterioration “unacceptable” and demands criminal liability for those responsible for safety, plus no reopening of Rodalies in Catalonia without guarantees. As an immediate measure, it urges drivers to reduce speed below limits in adverse weather or on risky infrastructure, and to demand assurances before proceeding.
For now, the strike is a warning without specific dates. The group also calls for the closure of sections hit by extreme weather.