Over 75% of services “not running” as of 2pm today
The various strikes mounted by railway workers’ unions are still biting. Today it was the turn of drivers and conductors, whose stoppage has led to 514 passenger train services being cancelled throughout the country up to 2pm – but which later on should not cause so much disruption.
An official source for CP (Comboios de Portugal, which operates national railways) said that between midnight and 2pm, 39 long-distance trains had been scheduled, but only 10 ran – while regional services saw 134 trains cancelled out of the 163 planned.
In Lisbon, only 86 of the 314 scheduled urban trains ran.
In Porto, 107 of the 146 scheduled urban trains were cancelled, while 18 of the urban trains scheduled for Coimbra were cancelled, meaning only two ran.
For this period, 100 minimum service trains were scheduled, of which 98 ran, as well as 68 additional trains.
For this afternoon and Tuesday, CP says that “more trains are expected, in addition to the minimum services decreed, with special emphasis on urban trains, where only occasional traffic disruptions are expected in the afternoon”.
Train Drivers’ Union (SMAQ) is holding its third day of strike action today for overtime work, which will continue until Wednesday, while the Railway Itinerant Commercial Review Union (SFRCI) began a strike on Sunday for conductors and ticket office workers.
This is a partial strike, taking place between 5am and 8.30am on Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday’s strike only affecting long-distance trains in a minor way, according to the union.
Minimum services of 25% have been decreed for this particular strike.
Elsewhere, strikes have been running since last week when there were three days with practically no train service at all. The government has denounced the action as politically motivated.
Source material: LUSA
