Historic agreement ends train drivers' strike after a day of chaos in Catalonia's rail network

Unions and the Spanish government reach a deal on infrastructure investment and hiring more staff for the rail network.

Railway station platform with passengers waiting during a day of train service disruptions.
IA

Railway station platform with passengers waiting during a day of train service disruptions.

Unions CCOO, UGT, and Semaf called off the train drivers' strike this Monday in Lleida and across Spain after reaching an investment deal with the Ministry of Transport.

This Monday was marked by cancellations and delays on the RL3 and RL4 lines, particularly at Lleida and Tàrrega stations. Although three days of strikes were initially planned, a midday negotiation with the Ministry of Transport successfully halted the protest.

"We have reached a withdrawal agreement that we believe is historic for the railway"

Diego Martín · General Secretary of Semaf
The deal includes the creation of 50 new structural positions and a specific replacement rate of 2,400 additional jobs for Adif. Furthermore, a financing plan for 2026-2030 has been agreed upon, with maintenance spending set to reach 1.179 billion euros by the final year.
Throughout the morning, confusion dominated the stations. According to Renfe data, only 42% of the scheduled Rodalies minimum services operated, forcing many commuters to seek alternative road transport to Lleida or Barcelona.