This year’s Black Friday in Valencia, when shoppers look for the best deals, will be chaotic due to a planned strike, which will clog public transport and prevent many people from entering stores.
In a disruptive turn of events, the Valencian Community faces a substantial upheaval in train services as Renfe workers initiate a series of strikes. The first 24-hour strike kicks off this Friday, November 24, marking the commencement of a five-day disruption that extends through the December long weekend (Friday the 1st, Monday the 4th, and Tuesday the 5th), making train travel during these periods considerably intricate.
This strike will be especially painful for customers from suburbs and villages around Valencia who planned to visit the city in search of Black Friday deals. Only those with cars and enough patience to find a parking space, it appears, will be able to do so.
The Ministry of Transportation has outlined minimum essential services, setting them at 65% for Medium Distance and 72% for AVE and Long Distance trains. During peak hours for Cercanías (06:00-09:00; 14:00-16:00 and 18:30-20:00), 75% will operate, dropping to 50% during other hours.
As a consequence, fourteen AVE and Long Distance trains linking Valencia to Madrid and Alicante have been canceled. Valencia-Madrid routes witness four canceled trains in each direction, and the Alicante-Madrid connection faces four cancellations as well. Moreover, three cancellations affect the Madrid-Alicante direction, alongside two trains from Barcelona to Alicante and an Intercity service.
While Ouigo and Iryo aren’t directly participating in the strike, the involvement of Adif workers in the Renfe protests hints at potential effects on these services, although specific details remain unknown.
The strike’s core objective is a protest against transferring Rodalies management to the Generalitat of Catalonia, a consequence of political agreements between the PSOE and independence groups during the investiture of Pedro Sánchez and the formation of the new Government.
For passengers impacted by cancellations due to the minimum services, Renfe offers after-sales measures: the option to travel on another train closest to the original, or the flexibility to cancel or change tickets without incurring additional costs. These operations can be executed through all Renfe sales channels.
This measure will have a significant impact on Black Friday sales because the chaos that will ensue will prevent many people from coming to the city to look for deals. As a result, it is easy to predict that this Black Friday will be one of the worst in recent Valencian retail history.
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© Black Friday in Valencia – A Looming Sales Disaster – Valencian.es
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