Spain's Ouigo Cancels All Monday Trains Amid Strike and Suspended Minimum-Service Order, Affecting About 20,000 Travelers
Spanish high-speed rail operator Ouigo cancelled all of its trains scheduled for Monday, November 2. The company's train drivers, represented by the Semaf union, were on strike that day, and Spain's National Court has suspended the Transport Ministry's order setting minimum services at 72 percent, leaving Ouigo unable to guarantee which trains could run. According to the company, 40 trains across Friday and Monday were cancelled and about 20,000 travelers affected, in the middle of the November 1 holiday weekend's return rush.
Ouigo said all affected passengers were being notified through the email address attached to their booking and could change their ticket free of charge or request a full refund; they will additionally receive immediate compensation of up to 200 percent of the ticket price. 'The decision is due solely and exclusively to the company's wish to avoid greater confusion in stations and impact on travelers in the current context,' the company said in its statement, adding that it deeply respects the right to strike but that the court ruling prevents it from scheduling its trains.
The rail disruption has a second strand: after the October 28 high-speed train collision at Urda, in Toledo province, the corridor between Madrid and Andalusia remains interrupted, with Ouigo's services on that corridor suspended at least through November 2. State operator Renfe has stopped selling tickets on the corridor for travel before December, saying sales and services will resume if the line reopens earlier; Spanish media report that no reopening date has been set.
Related: Follow-Up: 66 of 69 Victims Identified in Spain Train Crash, Including Four U.S. Citizens
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Ouigo España 的一列 TGV Euroduplex 高铁列车停靠在 Barcelona Sants 站（资料图）。照片：Robot8A，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。
