Spain's Renfe sets reduced high‑speed services amid July rail strike

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility announced that, for the railway strike planned by the Sindicato Ferroviario on 15 July, a minimum of 73% of Renfe’s high‑speed trains will run, guaranteeing 249 of the 343 scheduled services. Minimum service levels were also set at 75% for commuter trains during peak hours, 50% outside peak, and 66% for medium‑distance routes, covering 426 of 650 trains. The strike, called over alleged pre‑meditated abandonment of freight services and plans to privatise freight operations with Medway, could affect further trains depending on the level of participation.

Renfe also reported that an outage on the Madrid‑Andalusia high‑speed line caused by cable theft between Ciudad Real and Malagón was resolved early on 9 July. The incident had delayed services for a second consecutive day. Adif, the rail infrastructure manager, noted a rise in cable‑theft incidents on the Southern Corridor, with three thefts recorded in five days and a total of six nationwide in the past week. Security patrols have been increased and coordinated with national police forces to prevent further disruptions.