If you take the train in Portugal, plan ahead for Friday 30 October 2026. CP – Comboios de Portugal warns that a strike called for that day will disrupt trains, and that problems may also spill over into Thursday 29 and Saturday 31 October. On the morning of the 30th, the Lisbon Metro also has a partial strike, so commuters in Lisbon could be hit twice.
What is happening
The strike was called by SFRCI (Sindicato Ferroviário da Revisão Comercial Itinerante), the union of CP’s on-board ticket staff. In a notice published on 21 October, CP said that “disruption to train services is expected” on 30 October, “with possible impacts also on the day before and the day after”, as Lusa reported. CP has not said which trains will be cancelled.
The CP strike page lists Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Internacional and Regional services, plus the urban lines of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra. CNN Portugal also reports that the urban trains around those three cities will be affected. As of the evening of 21 October, no minimum-services decision for this strike had been published on the website of the Economic and Social Council (CES), which publishes the arbitration rulings for strikes at public transport companies.
Refund or free exchange of your ticket
If you already have a ticket for an Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Internacional, InterRegional or Regional train, CP will give you either a full refund or a free exchange to another train of the same type and in the same class. According to CP’s notice, you can do it:
- Online, if you bought the ticket online or in the app: on the CP website under “Pós-Venda”, or in the CP app under “As minhas viagens”, up to 15 minutes before your train leaves your departure station.
- At a CP ticket office, before or after the travel date, up to 10 days after the strike ends.
- With the online form “Reembolso por Atraso ou Supressão” (refund for delay or cancellation). CP warns that replies take longer this way.
CP’s refund note does not mention urban-line tickets or monthly passes. If you travel on a pass, plan another way to get to work rather than counting on a refund.
Lisbon Metro strike on the same morning
Lisbon Metro workers have separate partial strikes on Wednesday 28 and Friday 30 October, from 05:00 to 10:00. The Metro said it will ask the arbitration court to set minimum services, Lusa reported. We are following that strike in our Lisbon Metro strike article.
What it means for you
Many workers rely on CP trains to commute from Sintra, Cascais, Azambuja, Setúbal or the Porto suburbs, often on early shifts. Others travel between cities at the end of the month, before the 1 November holiday. Here is what we suggest:
- Check before you leave: look at cp.pt or the CP app on 29, 30 and 31 October. Live train information can change on the day.
- Move long trips to another day if you can, and change or refund your ticket within the deadlines above.
- Look at other operators: Fertagus trains, Metro do Porto and Carris Metropolitana buses are run by other companies and are not part of this CP strike notice, but they may be busier than usual.
- Tell your employer early if you may be late, and keep a screenshot of the CP notice in case you need to explain.
- Questions? CP’s helpline is 210 900 032 or 808 109 110, or ask at a CP ticket office.
Key dates
- Wednesday 28 October, 05:00–10:00: Lisbon Metro partial strike.
- Thursday 29 October: some CP disruption possible.
- Friday 30 October: CP strike day; Lisbon Metro partial strike 05:00–10:00.
- Saturday 31 October: some CP disruption possible.
- Up to 10 days after the strike ends: last day to ask for a refund or exchange at a CP ticket office.
Sources
- CP – Comboios de Portugal, strike page for 30 October 2026 (official)
- Lusa via Notícias ao Minuto – CP alerta para possíveis perturbações devido a greve no dia 30 (21 Oct 2026)
- CNN Portugal – Outubro acaba com greve na CP que pode ter impacto em três dias (21 Oct 2026)
- Observador – Greve nos comboios no dia 30 (21 Oct 2026)
- Conselho Económico e Social – minimum-services decisions (official)
Last updated: 21 October 2026. Link in Portugal is an independent news site, not a transport operator. Check cp.pt for the latest service information.
