Rail workers' unions end strike after Spain agrees to new safety measures

Spain's main unions for rail workers called off a three-day nationwide strike, which had started earlier on Monday, after authorities agreed to boost investments and reinforce staffing following a string of high-profile train accidents.

Last month, several consecutive derailments and crashes left dozens dead, sparking public scrutiny of the state of Spain's rail infrastructure. A January 18 high-speed rail crash in southern Andalusia killed 46 people while a derailment two days later in northeastern Catalonia killed a train driver.

The Spanish government will invest 1.8 billion euros ($2.15 billion) in railroad maintenance until 2030 and will hire 3,650 additional workers for the public-funded rail administrator and operator, Spain's Transport Ministry said in a statement.

It will also change the system that counts the number of hours worked by train drivers and increase the number of road vehicles used for maintenance work.

In a statement, train drivers' union SEMAF said it had achieved all of its demands with a deal that addressed day-to-day safety concerns raised by drivers across all railway companies, including steps on infrastructure investment, working groups and safety procedures.

The Transport Ministry, railway operator Adif and state-owned rail company Renfe had committed to implementing measures aimed at substantially improving safety management, as well as establishing clear limits and responsibilities and bolstering staffing, it added.

Trade unions CCOO and UGT, the country's biggest, also told their members in the railway sector the strike was off, with CCOO warning it would rigorously monitor the agreed measures' proper rollout.

However, smaller unions CGT and Sindicato Ferroviario said they would continue striking until Wednesday, as they had been excluded from talks and had yet to be informed of the deal's terms.

It triggered some cancellations and delays, although the Transport Ministry had set high minimum service levels: 73% for long-distance trains, 75% for commuter services during rush hour and 50% during off-peak hours.

Earlier on Monday, passengers were checking electronic boards for cancelled services at Barcelona's main station, Sants.

"This is my third cancellation. I hope the train I'm booked on, which is supposed to leave in an hour, will actually depart," French commuter François Monti, 52, told Reuters.

"But I understand the safety situation is complicated, so I understand the train drivers."

($1 = 0.8391 euros)

-Horaci Garcia, Emma Pinedo and David Latona/Reuters