The strike by Infraestruturas de Portugal (IP) workers led to the cancellation of 113 trains between 00:00 and 08:00 today, 44.3% of the 255 scheduled, CP – Comboios de Portugal said.
Railway operation, command, control, information, traffic management and maintenance workers are on strike today for better working conditions and pay, the third strike this year.
According to data sent by CP to the Lusa news agency, nine out of 13 scheduled trains were cancelled on the long-distance service, while 35 out of an estimated 67 trains were not operated on the regional service.
In Lisbon, 45 out of an estimated 115 urban trains were cancelled, in Porto 20 out of 53 did not run and in Coimbra four out of seven scheduled trains did not run.
Between 00:00 and 08:00 there were 142 trains, more than the 106 defined as minimum services, four of which on the long-distance service, 32 on the regional service, 70 on the Lisbon urban service, 33 on the Porto urban service and three in Coimbra.
According to CP, customers who have purchased tickets to travel on Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, International, InterRegional and Regional trains will be allowed to “refund the full value of the ticket purchased or exchange it free of charge for another train in the same category and class”.
On the last day of the strike, January 4, 781 trains were cancelled, out of 1,088 scheduled (71.8% cancelled), between 00:00 and 19:00, and on January 2, 798 trains were cancelled, out of a total of 1,086 estimated, and only the minimum services were complied with until 19:00, CP said.