Spanish Trains Halted as Drivers Start Strike Over Accidents

Strikers carrying union flags at Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes train station, on Feb. 9.Photographer: Jesús Hellín/AP Photo

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February 9, 2026 at 7:02 AM UTC

Spanish train services were disrupted Monday as drivers started a three-day strike to protest safety conditions, following two deadly accidents in January.

The walkout, led by the main drivers’ union Semaf, was called after 46 people were killed when a high-speed train derailed in Andalusia, and another died in an accident in Catalonia two days later. Transport Minister Oscar Puente held failed talks with the unions over the weekend to stop the walkout.