Spain train strike: Drivers begin three-day nationwide walkout after fatal crashes - more than 300 services cancelled

Train drivers and railway workers are walking out between 9 to 11 February. As of Monday morning, it has already resulted in the cancellation of more than 330 high-speed and medium-distance trains. Commuter services are also impacted.

The operators Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo have jointly cancelled these services as a result of the strike and are running minimum services, forcing thousands of passengers to change their travel plans. The action follows two fatal train crashes in January, one in Adamuz in the country's southern region which killed 46 people, and the second just two days later near Barcelona where a train driver died and dozens were injured.

The accidents have caused severe disruption for travellers and cast doubt on Spain's much-vaunted rail system. Semaf, the train drivers' union, are demanding the hiring of more staff and increased investment and maintenance in what it has described as "the constant deterioration of the rail network".

Following the two collisions, subsequent safety checks also revealed faults and maintenance issues on a number of routes. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is due to be grilled in parliament later this week about the failures in the rail system.

In order to guarantee essential journeys for citizens in Spain, the Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility has established minimum train services during the strike days. Renfe Cercanías (commuter) services will be maintained at 75 per cent during peak hours and at 50 per cent during the rest of the day, while 65 per cent of the usual services will run on medium-distance trains.

In the case of high-speed and long-distance trains, minimum services are set at 73 per cent of scheduled journeys. These percentages are set by the central government in accordance with current railway legislation, although there are territorial exceptions.