Spain: 11 November general strike, 26% minimum service for rail freight, none set for road haulage
Spain holds a general strike on 11 November: Renfe freight trains must run 26% of services, while no minimum service has been set for road haulage.
Spain holds a 24-hour general strike on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. The Ministry of Transport has ordered Renfe freight trains to run 26% of scheduled services, but had set no minimum service for road haulage as of 9 November.
Who is affected
- The strike is called by CCOO, UGT, CGT, CNT, Confederación Intersindical and other organisations and covers the whole of Spain.
- Rail: the resolution of the Secretary of State for Transport applies to the Renfe group, including Renfe Mercancías. The sources do not say how other rail freight operators will run.
- Road: according to the hauliers’ federation Fenadismer, road freight needs a separate ministry resolution for each strike, and none had been issued for this one by Monday, 9 November. We found no later resolution before publication.
- Fuel: at least 20% of registered filling stations in each comarca (district) must stay open; the list is in an annex to the ministry order.
When
| Date (local time, CET) | What happens | Renfe freight trains |
|---|---|---|
| 10 November (Tuesday) | Strike by train drivers’ union SEMAF | 20% of scheduled services |
| 11 November (Wednesday), 00:00–23:59 | General strike | 26% of scheduled services |
| 12 November (Thursday) | Strike by train drivers’ union SEMAF | 20% of scheduled services |
What it means for trips
Rail freight capacity is cut for three days in a row. The resolution protects priority flows: 11 of 27 automotive trains (40.7%), 13 of 60 dangerous goods and fuel trains, 9 of 73 trains with industrial raw materials and perishables, 17 steel coil trains and 6 municipal waste trains in Galicia. The ministry calculates that replacing only the automotive minimum trains would take 275 trucks, and the raw material and perishables trains 378 trucks.
How much freight will move to the road, and how many staff at loading points, warehouses and terminals will join the strike, is unknown. The sources mention no additional official truck traffic restrictions linked to the strike. Fuel supply is partly secured, but not every filling station will be open.
Context
Minimum services for passenger transport are governed by a general royal decree from 1984, while road freight requires a specific ministry decision for each strike. Fenadismer criticises that this time a decision was taken only for rail, even though the resolution itself says replacing trains with trucks would cause “unacceptable” congestion on the main roads. According to the federation, more than 90% of freight in Spain moves by road and about 1% by rail.
Another key Mediterranean corridor faces strikes too: the Italian transport ministry’s strike register lists a CGIL general strike on 20 November that also covers ports, freight and logistics. See more in FleetIntel strike alerts and standing rules in the general traffic restrictions in Europe 2026 overview.
What to check
- Confirm with Spanish customers, warehouses and terminals whether loading and unloading slots on 11 November still stand.
- If you use intermodal or Renfe rail services, check bookings for 10 to 12 November.
- Plan refuelling before entering Spain or check the filling station list in the ministry order.
- Tell drivers to follow DGT traffic information for local disruption on strike day.
Source: Spanish Ministry of Transport resolution on rail minimum services, signed 2026-11-06, published 2026-11-09; Renfe, published 2026-11-09; Renfe (SEMAF strike), published 2026-11-07; Fenadismer, published 2026-11-09; BOE, Orden TED/1179/2026, published 2026-11-07; Italian Ministry of Transport strike register, CGIL strike proclaimed 2026-10-19.
