2026-10-28
Renfe strike on Thursday 29 October: check your train
If you are travelling to or from the Camino by train on Thursday 29 October, check your train before you set out. SEMAF, the train drivers union, has called a 24 hour strike across every Renfe company, and as of Wednesday evening the strike is confirmed and going ahead.
What it means in practice:
- Fewer trains everywhere. Minimum services set by the Ministry of Transport guarantee on average 73 percent of AVE and long distance trains and 65 percent of medium distance trains. On Cercanías commuter networks it is 75 percent at peak hours and 50 percent the rest of the day.
- Galicia is on the list. Renfe has published its affected trains, and they include services linking Vigo with Santiago and Madrid, plus trains on the A Coruña to Ferrol and Lugo to Ourense lines.
- The Camino runs on these trains. Pilgrims ride Renfe to reach Sarria, Ourense, Pamplona, León and Irún, and to get home from Santiago. Any of those journeys can be cut or retimed on Thursday.
What to do:
- Look up your exact train on renfe.com or at the station before travelling. A booked train is not a guaranteed train on a strike day.
- Leave extra time for connections, and have the bus in mind as a backup for your route that day.
- If you are flying out of Santiago or Madrid on Thursday, give yourself a bigger margin than usual.
One more date for the diary: drivers at Ouigo, the other high speed operator, are called out on Friday 30 October and Monday 2 November, and that company has already announced some cancellations.
Source: SEMAF strike call and Renfe minimum services, reported by Cadena SER.