Renfe drivers' strike hits Madrid and Barcelona commuter trains on Tuesday

If your commute runs on Renfe (Spain's state rail operator), Tuesday is not a normal day. The Semaf drivers' union is holding a 24-hour strike, and it is hitting Cercanías (Madrid's commuter network) and Rodalies (Catalonia's commuter network) hard.

Cercanías Madrid has suspended trains on six lines. In Rodalies, Renfe says only half of the required minimum services are running, and it is recommending alternative transport. The company accuses strikers of breaking the minimum-service rules. One report put turnout at 19.6% across the night and morning shifts among drivers covered by the strike.

Catalan president Salvador Illa has promised to act, and the regional government is asking Renfe to open investigations into why many drivers did not show up for their shifts.

Semaf is keeping the strike going despite talks with the central government on stronger rail safety. The union has been pressing the issue since the Adamuz high-speed crash in Córdoba in January, which killed dozens of people.

More stoppages are planned at different times on Thursday, 12 November. A general strike is also called across Spain for Wednesday.