The president of the union, Luís Bravo, stated the train cancellations on Tuesday would mirror those on Monday, the initial day of the strike, which is set to continue until November 13. This affected two Intercidades trains departing from Lisbon Santa Apolónia at 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM.
The strike affects all Intercidades trains operating with Arco-type carriages, acquired from Spain’s Renfe and primarily used by CP for medium-distance services. It also impacts any Intercidades composition with more than seven carriages. During the strike, CP limited the number of trains with Arco carriages to just one, according to Bravo.
The union president accused the company management of attempting to mitigate the strike’s impact by reducing the number of carriages.
“To avoid train cancellations, [CP] reduced the number of carriages on all trains,” Bravo stated, adding that “before the strike, Intercidades trains on the Northern line almost all ran with eight carriages.”
The partial strike, taking place from November 3 to 13, has been organized by the Sindicato Ferroviário da Revisão Comercial Itinerante. It aims to highlight violations of the 2023 agreement concerning work schedule improvements and alleged safety issues, such as overcrowding and incompatible carriages.
Regarding long shifts, Luís Bravo explained that some inspectors travel over 600 kilometers in a single day, carrying thousands of passengers.
On Monday, CP asserted it fully complies with the labor agreement made with the union and denied any safety breaches, ensuring that “all maintenance interventions are carried out according to the Maintenance Manual.”
